2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
DUKE ENERGY CONVENTION CENTER
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Early Management of Hearing Loss in North Carolina
The COVID-19 pandemic put considerable strains on families and the healthcare system. Current JCIH guidelines describe a standard of care for the early management of hearing loss in infants and young children. Timely access to care after a failed newborn hearing screening is paramount to limit the effects of undermanaged early hearing loss on language, developmental, and educational outcomes for children. Anecdotal evidence and general clinical impressions from the COVID-19 period suggest the risk that children accessed these services less consistently during the COVID-19 period in North Carolina (NC). Limited peer-reviewed research has shown increased loss to follow-up after a failed newborn hearing screening and fewer opportunities for developmental surveillance in the medical home.
This poster will review data related to early hearing loss management in the 30 months prior to COVID-19 and 30 months during COVID-19. The project is led by four LEND trainees in the Doctor of Audiology program at UNC Chapel Hill, with mentoring provided by UNC faculty in collaboration with the NC EHDI Program. Using the NC EHDI public health tracking database we are measuring changes in early hearing loss care during two time periods. We are analyzing this data to measure several timing benchmarks (age at hearing loss diagnosis, confirmation of hearing, hearing aid fitting, early intervention enrollment, and cochlear implantation) as well as several quality benchmarks (rates of loss to follow-up at each EHDI benchmark, diagnosis compared to birth rate, and hearing aid fitting and cochlear implantation compared to birth rate). Our goal is that this analysis will better inform our EHDI system and audiology care teams about the effect of COVID-19 on early hearing healthcare in NC. This information could allow targeted initiatives to close identification gaps and ensure that infants and children with early hearing loss connect with needed services.
- Attendees will be able to define the JCIH recommendations for early diagnosis and intervention of hearing loss.
- Attendees will be able to describe the typical implementation of the JCIH guidelines for early identification and intervention of hearing loss in North Carolina in the 30 months prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Attendees will be able to identify the effects of COVID-19 on the typical JCIH progression of identification and intervention for hearing loss in the 30 months of the pandemic.
Poster:
3420032_15702TaliaMango.pdf
Presenter: Penelope Franklin
Penelope Franklin is a full time graduate student in the audiology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She received a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from James Madison University. Ms. Franklin is a LEND Audiology Trainee at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, UNC School of Medicine.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Emily Jedlowski is a full time graduate student in the audiology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She received a Bachelor of Science in Human Communication Sciences from Northwestern University. Ms. Jedlowski is a LEND Audiology Trainee at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, UNC School of Medicine.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Talia Mango is a full time graduate student in the audiology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from Wheelock College and a Master of Education from Boston College in Severe Disabilities. Ms. Mango is a LEND Audiology Trainee at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, UNC School of Medicine.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Cheyanne Waller is a full time graduate student in the audiology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She received a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The Pennsylvania State University. Ms. Waller is a LEND Audiology Trainee at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, UNC School of Medicine.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Dr. Sapp is the head of Pediatric Audiology at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, NC, and the director of the Early Hearing Loss Lab. Her research interests include examining the factors that improve language and social outcomes for children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in particular malleable clinical factors like parent counseling.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Dr. Siburt is a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Division Director for the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC. She also serves as a LEND faculty member at UNC. Dr. Siburt has over 14 years of experience as an audiologist.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -