18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
Effect of Protocol Change on Diagnostic Referral Rate for Well Baby Population
Rhode Island EHDI newborn hearing screening program utilizes a two-step screening process in the evaluation of hearing in the well baby population. An increase in the diagnostic refer rate of the well baby population after introduction of new equipment prompted a QI project. The results of which triggered a change in the method of outpatient hearing screening in well babies at one birthing hospital. The inpatient newborn hearing screening protocol of the well baby population included screening first with Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE) followed by secondary screening with Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) if the infant referred on the initial TEOAE screen. Outpatient AABR was performed if the baby referred on the secondary inpatient screening. The change in well baby population protocol meant the outpatient hearing screening method changed from AABR to TEOAE. This change resulted in a decrease in refer rate for diagnostic ABR. Use of TEOAE as a method for screening the well baby population is valid because of the extremely low incidence of neural hearing loss in the well baby population. Although the use of new equipment resulted in an initial increase in the diagnostic refer rate; use of TEOAE as a final outpatient screening method resulted in a decreased refer rate for diagnostic assessment. Simultaneously, an increase in identification of slight hearing loss was attributed to use of the new equipment.
- Identify factors affecting diagnostic referral rate
- Identify implications of change in protocol
- Quality assurance of change in protocol
Poster:
18878_10381LizaThen.pdf
Presenter: Betty Vohr
Betty Vohr, MD has been the director of Women & Infants Hospital’s Neonatal Follow-up Clinic since 1974 and medical director of the Rhode Island Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program since 1990. She has been the national coordinator of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network follow-up studies since 1990. Dr. Vohr’s primary clinical and research interests focus on improving the long-term outcomes of high-risk premature infants and infants with hearing loss. Dr. Vohr played an instrumental role in the development of the RI-EHDI (formerly RIHAP), which was established in 1990. Based at Women & Infants, RIHAP became the first public health program in the United States to achieve universal newborn hearing screening for all infants born in RI. She is a recipient of the Antonia Brancia Maxon award for EHDI Excellence, has served as a member of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing.
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Liza is currently the manager for the Newborn Hearing Screening program and is the EHDI coordinator for Rhode Island. Liza provides oversight for the project and coordinate with other relevant statewide efforts. She previously worked as a parent consultant, and a Community Liaison for RIDOH’s Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program. Dr. Then is fluent in written and spoken Spanish.
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Sara Franklin, Au.D, is the Program Coordinator for the Rhode Island Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program. Her duties include developing and managing the clinical components of the hospital and state-wide RI-EHDI program for infants. She interprets hearing screenings conducted throughout the state, provides patient referral sources and coordinates audiology networks. She oversees staff as well as technical staff at screening sites throughout the state of Rhode Island. She coordinates research activities and interfaces with statewide agencies such as Department of Health, Early Intervention, Newborn Screening Task Force, EHDI and Kidsnet. Prior to her position she was a clinical audiologist in the Department of Audiology at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island supervising the hearing screening staff, diagnosing and managing hearing loss in the pediatric and geriatric populations .
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No relevant financial relationship exist.
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No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.