2025 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 9-11, 2025 • Pittsburgh, PA
3/18/2024 | 2:25 PM - 2:50 PM | Addressing Loss to Follow Up Rates through Parent Education | Capitol 4
Addressing Loss to Follow Up Rates through Parent Education
In this presentation, we will 1) Outline why appointment no show rates, cancellation rates, and loss to follow up rates are elevated, 2) Explain how Georgia Mobile Audiology (GMA) addressed this issue in our state and, 3) How participants can integrate a similar approach where they live.
As practitioners in the field of hearing loss, we all know the statistics related to diagnostic hearing tests. The Georgia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing updated the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Language and Literacy Dashboard for 2022. The data from the dashboard shows 93% of Georgia’s infants received the Newborn Hearing Screening (NBHS) with only 25% of infants needing full diagnostic hearing testing were tested, and only 25% of families with babies diagnosed as DHH reported enrollment into early intervention services. These staggering facts required action, and GMA Parent Navigators (PNs) were tasked with finding out why families were not attending the necessary follow up appointments after referring on the NBHS.
GMA Parent Navigators tackled this dilemma by creating protocols for contacting families, developing a set of checks and balances to ensure families understood on the impact of hearing loss as related to literacy, and providing access to wrap around services as needed by families. The results of GMA’s established parent navigation protocol showed dramatic decreases in the no show rate, cancellation rate, and loss to follow up rate for diagnostic non-sedated ABR appointments.
We believe this approach is applicable to other states throughout the county, and the lessons we have learned can benefit those who would like to implement a similar program in their states.
- 1. The participant will explain the relationship between early diagnosis/intervention and language and literacy outcomes.
- 2. The participant will identify obstacles families face making and going to medical appointments.
- 3. The participant will describe strategies to decrease diagnostic ABR appointment No Show rates, appointment Cancellation rates and Loss to Follow Up rates.
Presentation:
3478265_16428StormeyCone.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
3478265_16428StormeyCone.docx
Presenters/Authors
Stormey Cone
(Primary Presenter), DHH Family Engagement and Education Program, Georgia Department of Education, scone@doe.k12.ga.us;
Stormey Cone holds both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education from Valdosta State University, in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Georgia. With two decades of experience as a teacher specializing in children with hearing loss, Stormey transitioned from the classroom in 2019 to join Georgia Mobile Audiology as a Parent Navigator. In this role, she played a key part in establishing GMA’s infant tele-audiology diagnostic ABR clinics, which ensured that rural families in South Georgia had access to timely testing and diagnosis.
In addition to her work as an audiology technician during infant clinics, Stormey supported families in navigating the intricate and often overwhelming aspects of the DHH journey. She currently serves as the Director of the DHH Family Engagement and Education Program for the State Schools Division of the Georgia Department of Education. In this capacity, Stormey leads a team of Parent Navigators who provide crucial support to high-risk families with DHH children throughout Georgia, serving as a vital safety net program for these communities.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from Georgia Department of Education.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Sherri Nighbert
(Co-Presenter), DHH Family Engagement and Education Program, Georgia Department of Education, sherri.nighbert@doe.k12.ga.us;
Sherri Nighbert obtained her bachelor’s degree in business communication from College of Charleston. She is also the mother of a child who is deaf and a bilateral Cochlear Implant user who is fully mainstreamed in the local elementary school. Sherri’s career path pivoted after 2 years of her child’s diagnosis to pursue a career in the DHH community with an emphasis on improving family access to resources and increasing support for families traveling their own DHH journey. Sherri successfully co-founded a wrap-around service charity, The Jason Cunningham Charitable Foundation (JCCF) (www.cunninghamcharity.org). For the last 8 years, JCCF has helped over 200 families needing financial assistance for hearing technologies, guidance with audiological and ENT services, early intervention therapy, transportation, and accommodations. From 2018 to 2022, Sherri was the grant manager and lead parent navigator for the new initiative she implemented called Access to Language (www.accesstolanguage.org) through the Atlanta Speech School. Currently Sherri is the Lead Parent Navigator for the DHH Family Engagement Program under the State Schools Division of the Georgia Department of Education and President of the Georgia AG Bell chapter. Sherri is extremely motivated by building Georgia’s DHH community to make sure no parent or child ever feels isolated.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.