Dr. Jacob Hunter - Answering the Cochlear Implant Epidemic

Dr. Jacob Hunter is currently the Dedman Family Scholar in Clinical Care and an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern. He has worked as an Assistant Professor for the UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Hunter started his medical career as an Otolaryngology Resident at Montefiore Medical Center. He completed his Neurotology Surgery Fellowship at Vanderbilt, where he specialized in acoustic neuroma surgery, cochlear implants, skull base surgery and chronic ear disease.

Epidemics are associated with infectious, quick-spreading diseases. However, the same principle applies to any medical issue that expands quicker than treatment can cover. The need for cochlear implants falls into this perfectly — the patients who could benefit from the technology greatly outnumber those receiving treatment. As a result, thousands upon thousands of people are living with deteriorating hearing loss and have made little effort to change their situation. So what can be done to provide more hearing care?

On this episode of the ListenUp! Podcast, Dr. Mark Syms talks with Dr. Jacob Hunter, an Associate Professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, about the state of cochlear implants. They discuss raising awareness, utilizing data to make informed decisions, and building infrastructure. Lastly, they touch on the personal element of hearing counseling and how it plays into education.