[Evaluation of a Screening Program: Challenges of Data Collection Using the Example of the Newborn Hearing Screening]

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Audiology

Background:

• Newborn hearing screening (NHS) aims for early identification and treatment of bilateral hearing disorders.
• German Pediatric Directive mandates NHS evaluation after 5 years.
• First nationwide evaluation of NHS for children born 2011-2012 focused on quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• Describe challenges in collecting data for NHS evaluation.
• Suggest improvements for future data collection and analysis.
• Assess structural, process, and result quality of NHS in Germany.

Main Methods:

• Identified maternity and neonatology wards conducting NHS.
• Analyzed documentation from these wards.
• Collected data from pediatric audiologists on children with bilateral permanent congenital hearing disorders.

Main Results:

• Identifying relevant wards was difficult; over half were unaware of documentation requirements.
• Over 15% of screened children lacked documentation.
• Data on bilateral congenital hearing disorders was available for only 60% of expected cases.

Conclusions:

• Data for NHS quality evaluation (structural, process, result) was incomplete.
• Precise database definitions and established structures are needed for meaningful evaluation.
• Despite data gaps, the evaluation yielded insights into the German NHS process.