Universal hearing screening using transient otoacoustic emissions in a community health clinic

Since 1993, targeted screening of high risk Camden and Islington babies has been carried out in hospital using the transient otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) technique and auditory brainstem responses (ABR). Because targeted screening is difficult to implement, a community pilot study using TEOAE was started in 1995, covering 7% of the resident population. Although uptake has not been above 80%, client satisfaction has been high and numbers requiring more detailed tertiary assessment have been modest (0.5% of the population screened). A comparison was made between the cost of a universal neonatal screen using TEOAE and distraction testing at 7 months of age. The neonatal screen would be no more expensive to implement universally, even when equipment costs are included. A combination of a universal neonatal screen with distraction testing at 7 months for those not screened is likely to give 96% coverage of hearing screening in the first year of life.