A Program Review of Head Start and Elementary School Hearing Screenings
Annette Hurley1, Michelle Willis1, Megan Guidry1
1Department of Communication Disorders, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
|March 29, 2020
Summary
This study reviewed hearing screening quality benchmarks for 6,043 children. The hearing screening refer rates were 11%, similar to other published data for this population.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatric Healthcare
- Public Health
Background:
- Effective hearing screening is crucial for early identification of hearing loss in children.
- Head Start centers, preschools, and elementary schools serve critical populations for early intervention.
- Establishing quality benchmarks is essential for optimizing hearing screening programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review quality benchmarks for pediatric hearing screening programs.
- To analyze refer rates from programs in Head Start centers and schools.
- To compare findings with existing published data.
Main Methods:
- Reviewed hearing screening results from 6,043 children across multiple educational settings.
- Utilized distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), pure-tone audiometry, and tympanometry.
- Implemented a two-stage screening process with defined referral criteria.
Main Results:
- Overall refer rate was 11% (10.9% for DPOAEs, 11.4% for pure-tone/tympanometry).
- Refer rates were consistent with previously published reports for similar pediatric populations.
- Sensitivity and specificity benchmarks could not be determined in this review.
Conclusions:
- The established refer rates serve as potential benchmarks for similar hearing screening programs.
- Further research is needed to establish definitive quality indicators, including sensitivity and specificity.
- The findings support the ongoing evaluation of hearing screening program effectiveness in early childhood settings.
