<< BACK TO AGENDA

ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Presenter Information:
Presenter 1: Name: Beth Kaplan

Affiliation: State of Alaska, Division of Public Health

Beth Kaplan is the Program Manager for Alaska’s EHDI Program in the Section of Women’s, Children’s and Family Health (WCFH) since December of 2006. Before joining WCFH, she was the Family Care Coordinator for the Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Clinic and the Neonatal Intensive Care Developmental Follow-up Program at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. Prior to that time, she worked in early intervention programs in Anchorage and Fairbanks. She has a Master of Education with an emphasis in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education. Beth has dedicated her career to supporting families and coordinating care for children with special health care needs. She enjoys the challenge of improving the system of care for children by facilitating partnerships with providers and families. She has lived and worked in Alaska for over thirty years; she began her career in New York City in a pilot travel training program for the Department of Special Education.
Presenter 2: Name: John Cartwright
Affiliation: State of Alaska, Division of Public Health

John is the Health Program Associate for the State of Alaska Newborn Screening Programs since January of 2008. Prior to that, John was the Administrative Clerk III and Admin. Clerk II for Newborn Screening and the Section of Woman’s, Children’s and Family Health and the Section of Maternal, Child and Family Health since 2002. The position of Health Program Associate has been heavily involved with the EHDI web-based hearing screening database and the integration of Newborn Metabolic Bloodspot Screening into this database. John is currently enrolled at the University of Alaska Anchorage working to continue his education and advancement in the State of Alaska EHDI Program.
Author Information:
Author 1: Name: Beth Kaplan
Affiliation: State of Alaska, Division of Public Health
Abstract Information:
Title: Utilizing the EHDI Database to Develop an Effective system for Follow-up in Alaska
Primary Track: 5-Follow-up, Tracking, and Data Management
Keyword(s): screening, follow-up, data management, lost to documentation

Abstract:

Alaska is the largest of the 50 states and contains 16 percent of the country’s landmass. The State implemented a web-based data system in 2005 to document the newborn hearing screening status of all Alaskan infants and track their follow-up. All birthing hospitals, across a vast 586,412 square miles, are reporting newborn hearing screening results into the database. This presentation will discuss utilizing the database to overcome geographic restrictions and development of a system for tracking infants through the EHDI process. Reports generated from the database are used as a communication tool to identify infants needing follow-up. Monthly reports faxed to birthing facilities report infants noted as “in process” for a missed or failed newborn hearing screen. Birthing facilities communicate back to the EHDI Program with updated information on the current status of the screening. The result of this effort is improved tracking of infants and a decrease in the number of infants “lost to documentation”. Another outcome of this system is the identification of duplicate entries and the merging of duplicate data. As a result of the fax-back process, quarterly data teleconferences and ongoing database training, communication between newborn hearing screeners and the State EHDI Program is enhanced and accuracy of data is improved. The database is also employed to generate letters to parents and the infant’s medical home. Incorporating a system for tracking infants born out of hospitals will be discussed. Beyond collecting accurate data, utilizing the database to generate reports and letters is an effective communication tool linking Alaska’s EHDI Program with birth screeners, parents, the medical home and audiologists. It is a vehicle for strengthening collaboration and community awareness of the National EHDI 1-3-6 Goals. Challenges to implementing a follow-up system in a large and diverse State will also be discussed.
Presentation(s): Not Available
Handouts: Not Available