18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
A Statewide Evaluation System to Identify the Unique Needs of Families with Children Newly Identified as D/HH
Families of children newly identified as deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) have many unique needs. Some families find themselves struggling to pay for hearing aids while others find it difficult and overwhelming to coordinate multiple appointments or understand the role of early intervention. Minnesota’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program has been working to improve statewide data collection processes in order to identify the unique needs of families and develop local and statewide strategies to address the most common barriers that families face.
The Minnesota Department of Health contracts with local public health (LPH) agencies to contact families of children who are D/HH and connect them to local services and supports. In 2014, quality improvement efforts were initiated to standardize an assessment tool to document family needs and interventions in a simple and comprehensive manner. By January 2017, all of Minnesota’s local public health agencies began using the comprehensive assessment tool to report to the EHDI program and that year provided follow-up for 232 families. Growth/Development was the area assessed most frequently and was also the area where most interventions occurred including referral to Early Intervention (EI). Overall, only 49% of children were reported by LPH as enrolled in Early Intervention programs during this initial follow-up period. Other needs included uninsured medical expenses and families unfamiliar with options/procedures for obtaining services.
Presenters will describe the process of testing and implementing an assessment and documentation tool statewide. The presentation will discuss the most common needs identified during assessments conducted with families of children newly identified as D/HH and highlight the interventions provided. Strategies to improve the EHDI System’s role in meeting the needs of families will be discussed, providing guidance as to how we can better support families during this critical period.
- Examine the use of existing local public health systems to identify needs, connect families to resources, and support connections to intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Discuss the most common needs families face after a child is newly identified as deaf or hard of hearing.
- Specify strategies to improve the EHDI System’s role in meeting the needs of families.
Poster:
18878_10474NicoleBrown.pdf
Presenter: Nicole Brown
Nicole Brown is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner and has worked in Minnesota’s Maternal and Child Health/Public Health field for over 19 years at both the state and local level. She is the supervisor for Newborn Screening long-term follow-up and is Minnesota’s EHDI Coordinator responsible to provide long-range planning and direction for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a statewide EHDI system for children once they are identified with hearing loss. Nicole served as the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners’ liaison to the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Improving the Effectiveness of Newborn Hearing Screening, Diagnosis, and Intervention. She has worked with NCHAM as Quality Improvement Advisor and is the parent of two children who are deaf.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Melinda Marsolek is an epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health's Newborn & Child Follow-up Unit. She has been working with Minnesota's EHDI program since 2012.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Cara is the Long-Term Followup Data Coordinator for Minnesota's EHDI program. She has worked for the program since 2012.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Darcia Dierking, Au.D. holds pediatric audiology specialty certification and has more than 20 years of clinical and research experience working with both children and adults. Dr. Dierking works with the Minnesota Department of Health Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program doing longitudinal follow-up for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.