Strategies for Educating Physicians about Newborn Hearing Screening

The benefits associated with universal Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) are most likely to be achieved when screening is linked to timely and effective interventions. Well-informed primary care physicians (PCPs) are in a key position to educate families about the importance and most effective ways of following-up for infants who do not pass the NHS test. Unfortunately, little information has been systematically collected to document physicians' current knowledge and needs, nor the methods for addressing them. This study combined qualitative methods (focus groups) with a national survey to gain an understanding of physicians' attitudes, knowledge and practices related to NHS. The project also developed tailored resources for this professional group.