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Early detection of hearing loss for infants in Western Australia: Comparison to international benchmarks
Allison Reid1,2, Sarah Firns3, Karina Tao4,5
1Ear, Nose and Throat Department, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Insights
Timely audiological assessment for congenital hearing loss is highly achievable, with 99.3% of infants receiving diagnostic auditory brainstem response (dABR) testing within three months. This study reviewed cases to identify and address potential delays in infant hearing care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Congenital hearing loss diagnosis
- Newborn hearing screening
Background:
- Early detection of congenital hearing loss is crucial for optimal language and cognitive development.
- The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) recommends diagnostic audiological testing by three months of age for infants failing newborn hearing screening.
- Assessing the timeliness of these diagnostic services is essential for quality improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the achievement of timely audiological assessment for congenital hearing loss at Perth Children's Hospital.
- To identify and analyze cases that exceeded the recommended timeframe for diagnostic testing.
- To explore barriers and contributing factors to delays in audiological assessment.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of infants undergoing diagnostic auditory assessment between 2016-2019.
- Inclusion criteria focused on infants with congenital hearing loss requiring assessment.
- Time to first diagnostic auditory brainstem response (dABR) was the primary metric for timeliness.
Main Results:
- 99.3% of 151 infants received timely dABR assessments within the 90-day benchmark.
- Only one case breached the 90-day timeframe without a clear reason for delay.
- This high rate of timely assessment compares favorably with published literature.
Conclusions:
- Timely diagnostic audiological assessment for congenital hearing loss is feasible and achievable.
- The study identified factors that may contribute to delays and provides insights for avoiding them.
- Continued monitoring and process improvement can ensure timely care for infants with hearing loss.
Aim:
To assess the degree to which timely audiological assessment of congenital hearing loss is achieved at our institution - Perth Children's Hospital, Western Australia, and to review cases which breached this timeframe in order to address barriers to timely assessment. The benchmark used to determine timely assessment is that set out by The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) in which diagnostic audiological testing occurs by three months of age for those who do not pass newborn hearing screening.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review of infants who underwent diagnostic auditory assessment at Perth Children's Hospital between 2016-2019. A total of 151 children were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria and their medical files were reviewed. Time to first dABR was the time point for whether testing was achieved within the 3 month timeframe.
Results:
Of the 151 children who underwent dABR assessments, 1 was identified as having breached the 90 day time limit (tested on day 91) for which no valid reason for delay could be identified. The timely delivery of dABR assessments in 99.3% of cases within this cohort compares favourably with the literature.
Conclusions:
Conclusion Timely diagnostic audiological assessment is achievable for children with congenital hearing loss. The reasons for patients breaching this timeframe are explored in the paper along with factors which may help avoid delays.
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