Interprofessional Training of Professionals to Serve Children Who Use Cochlear Implants

Children who use cochlear implants (CIs) benefit from the services of a variety of professionals; thus, integrated care of an interprofessional practice (IPP) team is essential for optimizing services and outcomes. As best practices for interprofessional education (IPE) develop, this chapter guides how to implement and evaluate preprofessional IPE experiences. Such experiences are designed to not only benefit the learners but also the patients and families they ultimately serve. As the evidence base for IPE grows, academic programs are encouraged to evaluate and share the results of their IPE experiences to advance the field in IPE and IPP. We provide an example of how one university implements interprofessional training for audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and teachers of the deaf to serve children with CIs. This chapter also discusses solutions to potential barriers to increase the success of IPE and IPP efforts.