October 22 and 23, 2012, Antwerp, Belgium
ORGANIZATION
- Prof. Dr. PJ Govaerts
- Dr. P Hendrix
- Ing. B Vaerenberg
- Ir. G De Ceulaer
1st Announcement
All participants will be asked to go through some of their own cases and data in anticipation of the debate and to actively participate to the debate.
The final aim will be to make a first step towards some consensus on Good Clinical Practice and to set out goals for further research and investigation.
The debate will address the following questions and more:
- how to switch-on the device
- which outcome to take into consideration, how to measure, how to deal with language-dependency and how to set targets
- when and how to optimize measured performance
- how to deal with adverse or non-auditory effects
- are different MAPs required for different listening situations or for different accessories
- how to identify device failure
- when and why to inactivate electrodes
- what to do during the long-term follow-up sessions
- how to deal with human and technical resources
Issues like automated or self testing and fitting, device-specific features will also be addressed. The debate also aims at determining controversies and uncertainties related to both technical and clinical elements.
Preliminary Program
| Monday, October 22 , 2012 | |
| 08h45 | Welcome |
| 09h00 | MAP-function in CIs by Cochlear, Advanced Bionics, MedEl and Neurelec |
| 10h30 | Coffee break |
| 11h00 | MAP parameters in the hands of clinicians |
| 12h30 | Lunch |
| 13h30 | Outcome in daily practice |
| 15h00 | Coffee break |
| 15h30 | Procedures & follow-up |
| 17h00 | Adjourn |
| Tuesday, October 23, 2012 | |
| 09h00 | Problem solving |
| 10h30 | Coffee break |
| 11h00 | Future perspectives |
| 12h30 | Lunch |
| 14h00 | Adjourn |
Audience
This debate aims at international professionals who are involved in the testing and the fitting of cochlear implant-users: audiologists, engineers, MD’s, etc. Participants should have a good technological and clinical understanding of CI-fitting. They should be willing to actively prepare the debate, contribute some of their own data and participate in the discussions.
2st Announcement
International Debate: “Fitting for Performance”
An international debate will be organized with 100 participants from Europe, USA, Canada and Australia to discuss the art of CI-fitting.
The current state of the art will be critically reviewed with a focus on improving measurable performance. Experts from the four CI-companies will revisit the functions between the electrical events and the MAP-parameters that can be adjusted by the programmer. Clinical experts will give an inventory of which MAP-parameters they use to modify, which outcome they use to measure, which procedures they typically follow.
All participants will be asked to go through some of their own cases and data in anticipation of the debate and to actively participate to the debate.
The final aim will be to make a first step towards some consensus on Good Clinical Practice and to set out goals for further research and investigation.
The debate will address the following questions and more:
- how to switch-on the device
- which outcome to take into consideration, how to measure, how to deal with language-dependency and how to set targets
- when and how to optimize measured performance
- how to deal with adverse or non-auditory effects
- are different MAPs required for different listening situations or for different accessories
- how to identify device failure
- when and why to inactivate electrodes
- what to do during the long-term follow-up sessions
- how to deal with human and technical resources
Issues like automated or self testing and fitting, device-specific features will also be addressed. The debate also aims at determining controversies and uncertainties related to both technical and clinical elements.
Final Program
| Monday, October 22 , 2012 | |
| 08h30 | Welcome |
| 09h00 | MAP-function in CIs by Thomas Stainsby (Cochlear), Chris Durst (Med-El), Alexandre Gault (Advanced Bionics) and Dan Gnansia (Neurelec) |
| 10h30 | Coffee break |
| 11h00 | MAP parameters in the hands of clinicians |
| 12h30 | Lunch |
| 13h30 | Outcome in daily practice |
| 15h30 | Coffee break |
| 16h00 | Procedures & follow-up |
| 17h00 | Adjourn |
| 19h00 | Dinner |
| Tuesday, October 23, 2012 | |
| 09h00 | Problem solving |
| 10h30 | Coffee break |
| 11h00 | Future perspectives |
| 12h30 | Lunch |
| 14h00 | Adjourn |
Audience
This debate aims at international professionals who are involved in the testing and the fitting of cochlear implant-users: audiologists, engineers, MD’s, etc. Participants should have a good technological and clinical understanding of CI-fitting. They should be willing to actively prepare the debate, contribute some of their own data and participate in the discussions.
Practical Issues
Registration Fee:
€ 195,- (including 2 lunches)
€ 50,- for dinner on Monday evening
Venue
The debate will be held in Antwerp, Belgium, in the Provincial Council Room, which has all facilities for a good debate, with individual microphones, voting system, projection, etc.
Address
- Provinciehuis
- Koningin Elisabethlei 22
- 2018 Antwerp
- Belgium
Hotel
Hotel Ramada Plaza Antwerp offers rooms at a discounted price of € 109,- per night. Participants are kindly requested to make their own booking. Please use the code “COCHLEAR IMPLANT” to claim the discount.
Check-in is from 14.00h; check-out is before 12.00h. Parking is possible on site and costs EUR 12.50 per day. The hotel is at 10 min walking distance from the debate venue, but transfer by auto car is organized, as rainy days are not unusual in Belgium during autumn. On Monday morning you will be pickedup at 8.00h and we welcome you with coffee at the venue.
Address
- Desguinlei 94
- 2018 Antwerp,
- Belgium
- Tel: +32-3 244 8 2 11
- Fax: +32-32 16 47 12
- E-Mail: info@ramadaplaza-antwerp.com
Dinner
The dinner will take place in the unique mediaeval setting of the canon Van Gesselzaal of the Elzenveld conference centre.
Address: Lange Gasthuisstraat 45, 2000 Antwerpen, T:+32-32027707, sc@elzenveld.be
Elzenveld is located in the old city centre. Autocar transport will be arranged from the hotel to the dinner in Elzenveld and back to the hotel. We keep the dress code business-casual.
Map
- A = Airport Express (shuttle bus from Brussels airport) stop at Crown Plaza Hotel
- B = Your hotel, Ramada Plaza
- C = Debate Venue, Provinciehuis
Travel Information
Airports
Antwerp Airport: small-character airport with regular flights to and from London with CityJet. We advise you to take from there a taxi to the hotel or the debate venue. This will cost € 10-€ 12.
Brussels Airport Zaventem: National Belgian airport for all regular flights. You can find the Airport Express bus to Antwerp on level 0, one floor down from the arrivals hall. The transfer costs € 10; every hour at -.00h; 30 min drive to your stop (on request) at Crown Plaza hotel, which is 5 min walking to your hotel, or 10 min to the debate venue.
Taxis are permanently available in front of the arrivals hall. The fare from the airport to Antwerp is around € 80- €100. Licensed taxis can be recognized by the blue and yellow emblem. You can also choose to reserve a taxi in advance (€ 50- €70).www.taxi2airport.com or www.budgettaxi.be
The airport train station is located below the terminal (level -1). Direct IC Diabolo trains to Antwerp are every hour (-.06h in week-ends; -.44h on week days; € 10.2 euro) www.belgianrail.be
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol: Direct train connection to Antwerp central station, every hour at -.01h IC, 1.59 min; € 28.20 or fast train Thalys; 0.59 min, € 40 – € 70. www.nshispeed.nl,
By Car
Please note that the debate venue Provinciehuis does not offer parking !!
Coming from Brussels/ Brussels Airport (E19), leaving the Craeybeckx Tunnel, take the left track indicated as “Centrum”.
- To the hotel: turn left at the second traffic light (“Singel- Zuid/Hoboken”). Ramada Plaza is on your right passing the next traffic light, opposite the Olympic swimming pool, behind the Building Vivium.
- To the debate venue: at the second traffic lights follow direction “Antwerpen centum” and stay on the N155, General Lemanstraat. At the end of this street, turn right and find a parking spot on the Koning Albert parkweg or the Prins Albertlei. The Provinciehuis is at your left.
Coming from the Netherlands or Germany (E19, E313-E34), follow the ring road towards Ghent/Brussel.
- To the hotel: take exit 5 “Brussel/ Boom/Wilrijk”. Follow the right lane and turn right at the traffic lights into the Le Grellelaan. At the second traffic light turn left into the Desguinlei. Ramada Plaza is 50m further down on the right hand side.
- To the debate venue: take exit 4 “Berchem/Mortsel”, turn right, follow direction “Antwerpen Centrum” and take Grotesteenweg. Continue to Mechelsesteenweg. At the next traffic lights turn sharp left into the Koningin Elisabethlei. The Provinciehuis is at your right.
Coming from France and Gent (E17), leaving the Kennedy Tunnel, take the second exit, exit 5 “Berchem/Wilrijk”.
- To the hotel: turn left and left again at the next traffic light into the Desguinlei. Ramada Plaza is immediately at your right behind the Building Vivium.
- To the debate venue: turn left and at the traffic lights cross the Desguinlei and drive straight into the Karel Oomsstraat. At the next traffic lights drive straight onto a small parking in this street. Park your car and walk further towards the end of the street. The Provinciehuis is located just past the crossing with the Jan Van Rijswijcklaan at the left side.
By Public Transport
From Antwerp central station.
- To the hotel: at the underground metro station “Diamant” take Tram 2, direction “Hoboken” or Tram 6, direction “Olympiade”. After about 10 min., leave the tram at the Jan Van Rijswijcklaan, stop “the Singel”. Cross the road and you will find the hotel behind a glass-building called “Vivium”.
- To the debate venue: at the underground premetrostation “Diamant” take Tram 2, direction “Hoboken” or tram 6, direction “Olympiade”. Leave the tram after about 8 min. at the stop “Provinciehuis”. The building is in front of the stop.
