18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
Determining the Caregiver Demographic Factors Involved in Delayed Infant Hearing Diagnostic Testing
Introduction: Delayed diagnosis of pediatric hearing loss can cause delays in cognitive and social development. This study described the sociodemographic factors associated with delayed timing of the final hearing diagnosis after an abnormal newborn hearing screening (NBHS). Methods: Caregiver-infant dyads were recruited after the infant received an abnormal result from the NBHS. Results: Of the 53 participants, 45% received a final diagnosis by 3 months of age. 45% (n=13) of those with a delayed diagnosis had their first appointment within 3 months but delay was caused by follow-up appointments due to inconclusive or abnormal auditory brainstem response (ABR), middle ear pathology, or additional testing due the presence of risk factors. Caregivers of children without a diagnosis at 3 months of age were older (p= 0.04) and had more children (p=0.01) than those with a diagnosis. Further, infants that were younger at their first appointment were more likely to receive a timely diagnosis. In the univariate analysis, older caregiver age (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.82, 1.00), more children (OR: 7.22, 95% CI: 1.44, 36.22 for 1 child vs. 3 or more and OR: 4.77, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.79 for 2 children vs. 3 or more), and younger infant age at first appointment (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.99) were shown to significantly decrease the odds of a timely diagnosis. Conclusions: Caregiver age, number of children, and timing of first appointment may predict delayed diagnosis. Moreover, since many patients with a delayed diagnosis attended an appointment within 3 months, further standardization of the process and targeted interventions for families and providers could improve chances of achieving a diagnosis within the first appointment.
- Identify current standards for follow-up after an abnormal newborn hearing screen.
- Describe caregiver factors involved in delayed diagnosis after an abnormal newborn hearing screen.
- Discuss areas for improvement in the diagnostic process and strategies to increase timely diagnosis.
Poster:
18878_10339AnitaShanker.pdf
Presenter: Anita Shanker
I am a 3rd year medical student at the University of Kentucky. My professional interests include advocacy, public and global health, and increasing accessibility to quality care to vulnerable populations.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.