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Development and Implementation of a Low-Cost Tracking System after Newborn Hearing Screening in Upper Austria:
Daniel Holzinger1,2,3, Doris Binder1, Daniel Raus4
1Konventhospital Barmherzige Brüder, Institut für Sinnes-und Sprachneurologie, 4020 Linz, Austria.
Insights
A revised newborn hearing screening protocol significantly increased early intervention enrollment for children with hearing loss in Upper Austria, with 81% enrolled before six months. This improvement was achieved without additional costs and within data protection regulations.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Audiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Newborn hearing screening aims for early detection of hearing loss.
- Delayed enrollment in early intervention (EI) services is a challenge.
- Upper Austria faced challenges with EI enrollment exceeding 6 months.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a revised screening and tracking protocol.
- To improve the timeliness of early intervention enrollment for infants with hearing loss.
- To enhance the coverage of newborn hearing screening.
Main Methods:
- A collaborative network developed a new protocol involving healthcare professionals and parents.
- Critical process indicators were defined and annually collected by health authorities.
- Regular network meetings, case discussions, and screener training were conducted.
Main Results:
- Enrollment in early intervention before 6 months increased from 26% to 81%.
- Bilateral screening coverage rose from 91.4% to 97.6%.
- Improvements were achieved without additional costs and within data protection laws.
Conclusions:
- A revised screening and tracking protocol can significantly improve early intervention enrollment rates.
- Collaborative efforts and standardized indicators are effective in enhancing newborn hearing screening programs.
- Timely intervention for hearing loss is achievable within existing healthcare and legal frameworks.
Abstract:
More than one decade after the introduction of newborn hearing screening in Upper Austria, most children were still older than 6 months at enrolment in early intervention. In this study, under the guidance of health authorities, a revised screening and tracking protocol was developed by a network of early intervention providers and representatives of ENT, obstetrics, and pediatrics, including screening professionals and parents of children with hearing loss. Critical process indicators following internationally recommended benchmarks were defined and collected annually by the health authorities. Due to data protection issues, the data collection system was not personalized. Regular network meetings, case-oriented meetings, and screener training sessions were held. As a result, even without additional costs and within the legal constraints related to data protection in Austria, the proportion of children enrolled in early intervention before 6 months of age was significantly increased from 26% to 81% in two representative birth cohorts before and after the introduction of the new protocol, respectively. The coverage for bilateral screening increased from 91.4 to 97.6% of the total number of births.
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