Progress in Standardization of Reporting and Analysis of Data from Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)
Suhana Alam1, Ashley Satterfield2, Craig A Mason3
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
Insights
Early identification of congenital hearing loss in infants is vital for development. Standardizing data reporting in early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) systems can improve tracking and prevent developmental delays for deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Audiology
Background:
- Congenital hearing loss impacts 1-3 per 1,000 infants, potentially causing speech and language delays.
- Early detection and intervention are critical for mitigating negative developmental impacts in infants.
- Current early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) systems face challenges with tracking and identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the issue of delayed identification and loss to follow-up in EHDI systems.
- To highlight the role of data reporting standardization in improving infant hearing screening.
- To propose solutions for enhancing data standardization in EHDI surveillance.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of current data reporting practices in EHDI systems.
- Discussion of factors contributing to a lack of standardization.
- Formulation of recommendations for improving data standardization.
Main Results:
- Lack of standardized data reporting is a significant barrier in EHDI systems.
- Inconsistent data hinders timely identification and intervention for infants with hearing loss.
- Children may be missed by surveillance and tracking systems due to data issues.
Conclusions:
- Standardizing data reporting is essential for effective EHDI surveillance.
- Improved data accuracy and consistency will facilitate earlier identification and services for DHH infants.
- Implementing standardized reporting can reduce developmental delays associated with congenital hearing loss.
Abstract:
Congenital hearing loss affects one to three of every 1,000 live born infants. If left undetected, it may negatively impact children through delayed speech and language development. To help avoid developmental delays and ensure that deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) infants are identified and receiving services as early as possible, complete and accurate data are crucial. Despite substantial progress made over the years, some children are still delayed in identification and/or lost to the early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) surveillance and tracking systems. Lack of standardization in data reporting contributes to this issue. This article discusses reasons for lack of standardization in data reporting and gives suggestions for how the situation could be improved.
