Analysis of follow-up at the diagnostic level in the Polish Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme
Grażyna Greczka1, Monika Zych1, Maciej Wróbel1
1Department of Otolaryngology and Oncological Laryngology, Poznan University of Medical Science, Poznan, Poland.
Insights
A survey revealed that many children attended diagnostic hearing tests despite not being registered in the Polish Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme database. Database omissions, not parental non-attendance, explain the low registration rate.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- The Polish Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme aims to diagnose hearing loss in newborns.
- Routine analysis revealed only 47.6% of expected follow-up visits were registered in the central database between June and November 2014.
- This discrepancy prompted an investigation into the reasons for low registration rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze the reasons behind the low percentage of registered follow-up visits.
- To verify database records against parental information regarding diagnostic hearing tests.
Main Methods:
- A telephone survey was conducted with parents of children not registered for diagnostic-level consultation.
- A random sample of 3239 children (52.4% of expected) was selected from the 7888 unregistered cases.
- The survey aimed to compare database records with information provided by parents.
Main Results:
- 1950 parents (60.2% of the selected group) responded to the survey.
- 52.1% of surveyed children had attended diagnostic tests, but this was not recorded in the database.
- Primary reasons for non-attendance (when it occurred) included long waiting times (36.09%), lack of referral (25.9%), and parental decisions (16.35%).
Conclusions:
- The telephone survey identified significant omissions in the central database registration.
- In reality, 83.6% of children had attended diagnostic-level hearing tests, contrary to database figures.
- The study highlights the need for improved data accuracy in neonatal hearing screening programs.
Abstract:
Objectives Routine analysis showed that between 1 June and 30 November 2014, only 47.6% of expected follow-up visits at the diagnostic level were registered in the Polish Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme central database. We attempted to detect and analyse the reasons for this low percentage. Methods A telephone survey questionnaire was developed for parents whose children had not registered for consultation at the diagnostic level, or had not received a final diagnosis according to the programme database. Questions aimed to verify the database records and compare these with information received from and given to parents. From the 7888 children not registered at the diagnostic level, 3239 records were randomly selected, i.e. 52.4% of those who had been expected to attend. Results Questions were answered by 1950 parents (60.2% of the selected group). Of these, 52.1% ( n = 734) had attended for diagnostic tests, but this was not recorded in the database. The most common reasons for not attending were the long waiting time for the visit (36.09%), lack of referral to a visit (25.9%) and conscious parent decision (16.35%). Conclusion The telephone survey disclosed omissions in database registration, and that in fact 83.6% of children had attended at the diagnostic level.
