2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
3/15/2022 | 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Washington State EHDI Program COVID-19 Needs Assessment | Room 3
Washington State EHDI Program COVID-19 Needs Assessment
The Washington State EHDI program conducted a needs assessment to better understand barriers to services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families whose infants did not pass their initial hearing screening and were indicated as ‘pending’ their follow-up hearing screening were called and asked to participate in a short interview to determine whether their child had received a follow-up screening and, if not, why. Additionally, two surveys were developed, one for family resources coordinators (FRCs) and one for audiologists, to understand how workloads, services, and needs changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families whose infant had not received a follow-up hearing screening cited scheduling issues (69%) and poor communication (39%) from their Primary Care Providers (PCPs) as the most common barriers to reviewing a rescreen. Most audiologists surveyed reported that they were able to continue to conduct diagnostic evaluations as they had prior to the pandemic. Some audiologists added the incorporation of safety precautions (44%), hearing screening appointments for infants who had missed their initial screening (20%), and telehealth for certain types of visits (20%). Additionally, 44% reported having a lighter caseload with some citing decreased referrals from PCPs. A few audiologists (12%) indicated that families were hesitant to receive early intervention (EI) virtual services. FRCs reported substantial changes to their work which included switching from in-person to virtual or telephone service delivery and increased difficulty coordinating with families. The large majority (80%) mentioned the unwillingness of families to participate in virtual EI services. Additionally, 53% mentioned a decline in referrals since the start of COVID-19 pandemic. Based upon these findings, recommendations include updating trainings and materials to include COVID-19 related changes to services. Materials for families should focus on where to access newborn hearing screenings and the importance of early hearing detection.
- Understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families, FRCs, and audiologists in Washington State
- Identify resources that families, FRCs, and audiologists reported as being helpful in response to the pandemic
- Learn what recommendations were proposed to address the needs of families, FRCs, and audiologists
Presentation:
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Presenters/Authors
Annie McHugh
(Primary Presenter), Washington State Department of Health, anne.mchugh@doh.wa.gov;
Maternal Child Health Epidemiologist that supports the Early Hearing Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention Program, Sexual & Reproductive Health Program, and Breast, Cervical & Colorectal Health Program.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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AAA DISCLOSURE:
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