The role of maternal socioeconomic factors in the commitment to universal newborn hearing screening in the Northeastern region of Brazil

Newborn Hearing Screening Success… Patient Care Failure

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of a newborn hearing screening program in an urban hospital 24 years after a longitudinal study identified failings in its program and recommended solutions.

METHODS

A hospital-specific, Pennsylvania database was queried to determine rates of in-hospital testing, referral, and diagnosis for Temple University Hospital (TUH), and to compare these with reporting sites statewide. At TUH, interviews with newborn hearing screeners and audiologists were conducted to identify barriers to care.

RESULTS

In the year 2022, 2,006/2,069 newborns (97%) were successfully screened prior to hospital discharge at TUH. (63 babies were never tested). There were 73 who did not pass automated auditory brainstem response testing (ABR) in at least one ear. All of these 73 infants returned for repeat automated ABR testing and 50/73 passed in both ears. 23/2006 (1%) were referred to diagnostic testing. 13/23 were successfully scheduled. 11/23 passed in both ears. 2/13 were found to have hearing losses. 10 infants (43%) were lost to follow-up and were never diagnosed. Examining lost-to-follow-up rates statewide, we identified a relationship between successful follow-up and local median family income.

CONCLUSION

Legislation on the state level and improvements in audiometric technology have led to highly successful in-hospital screening with relatively low false-positive rates. Despite this, inadequate outpatient follow-up testing and inequities in the American health care system continue to delay audiometric diagnosis and habilitation of congenital hearing loss. Lack of transportation, childcare for siblings, and newborn insurance status impede access to diagnostic testing.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 evidence-retrospective review comparing cases and controls Laryngoscope, 135:942-947, 2025.

Rurality Effect on Michigan Newborn Hearing Screening

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the effect of rurality on newborn hearing screen outcomes in Michigan.

METHODS

Patients in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Newborn Hearing Screening database that failed or did not receive their initial screen from 2015 to 2020 were evaluated. Using the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC), patients were assigned a 1-9 code based on the population of their zip code, with 1 being the most urban and 9 being the most rural and outcomes between these patients were compared.

RESULTS

There were 34,928 patients initially identified. Patients that had follow-up testing after a failed NBHS had a slightly higher RUCC than those that did not follow-up, 2.3 versus 2.2, respectively (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between those that refused screening, with a mean RUCC of 4.2, and those that had a failed initial screen having a mean RUCC of 2.1 (p < 0.001). Similarly, those with equipment failure had a higher mean RUCC, 2.8, compared to those that had screening completed (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

More rural areas are more likely to refuse a newborn hearing screen as well as have equipment failure options. There was no difference in rurality scores of those that had a follow-up screen after a failure and those that did not.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV Laryngoscope, 134:2937-2940, 2024.

Sociodemographic Factors Affecting Loss to Follow-Up After Newborn Hearing Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Universal newborn hearing screening (NBHS) has been widely implemented as a part of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs worldwide. Even with excellent provider knowledge and screening rates, many infants do not receive definitive hearing testing or intervention after initial screening. The objective of this study was to identify sociodemographic factors contributing to loss of follow-up.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL.

REVIEW METHODS

Per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, the databases were searched from the date of inception through December 28, 2021. Studies containing sociodemographic information on patients who were referred to NBHS were included. Meta-analysis of odds ratios (ORs) was performed comparing rates of sociodemographic variables between patients adherent and nonadherent to follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 169,238 infants from 19 studies were included. Low birth weight (OR 1.6 [95% confidence interval, CI 1.2-2.2, p < .001), racial minority (OR 1.4 [95% CI 1.2-1.6], p < .001), rural residence (OR 1.5 [95% CI 1.1-1.9], p = .005), lack of insurance (OR 1 [95% CI 1.4-2.5], p < .001), and public or state insurance (OR 1.7 [95% CI 1.2-4.2], p = .008) were associated with missed follow-up after referred NBHS. Associated maternal factors included low maternal education (OR 1.8 [95% CI 1.6-2.0], p < .001), young maternal age (OR 1.5 [95% CI 1.5-1.6], p < .001), unmarried maternal status (OR 1.5 [95% CI 1.1-1.9], p = .003), and current or former maternal smoking status (OR 1.8 [95% CI 1.4-2.2], p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Both infant and maternal sociodemographic factors influence follow-up compliance after referred NBHS. Focused efforts should be made by medical providers and policymakers to address these factors to ensure appropriate newborn hearing care and interventions are achieved.

Communities Helping the Hearing of Infants by Reaching Parents (CHHIRP) through patient navigation: a hybrid implementation effectiveness stepped wedge trial protocol

INTRODUCTION

As the most common neonatal sensory disorder in the USA, infant hearing loss has an incidence of 1.7 per 1000 births. The consequences of delayed diagnosis and failure to obtain timely intervention include significant communication impairment and negative socioeconomic effects. Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) national standards dictate that all infants should be screened and diagnosed by 3 months of age and there is a need for interventions that promote adherence to timely diagnosis. Patient navigation (PN) has been shown to be efficacious to decrease non-adherence with infant hearing diagnostic care; however, PN has yet to be tested in diverse communities or implemented into real-world settings.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The proposed research is a community-engaged, type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of a PN intervention aimed at decreasing infant hearing diagnosis non-adherence after failed newborn hearing screening, delivered in state-funded EHDI clinics. Guided by our community advisory board and partners, we aim to (1) test the effectiveness of PN to decrease non-adherence to receipt of infant hearing diagnosis within 3 months after birth using a stepped-wedge trial design, (2) investigate implementation outcomes and factors influencing implementation and (3) determine the cost-effectiveness of PN from the perspective of third-party payers. The study will be conducted from April 2019 until March 2024.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol was approved by the University of Kentucky Institutional Review Board. Although all research involving human subjects contains some risk, there are no known serious risks anticipated from participating in this study. We will seek to disseminate our results in a systematic fashion to patients, key stakeholder, policymakers and the scientific community. Our results will impact the field by partnering with communities to inform the scale-up of this innovative patient supportive intervention to create efficient and effective EHDI programmes and maximise public health impact.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Clinicaltrials.gov (Pre-results phase): NCT03875339.

Evaluating Equity Through the Social Determinants of Hearing Health

Hearing loss in adults is a significant public health problem throughout the world. Undiagnosed and untreated hearing loss causes a measurable impact on health and social, occupational, and emotional well-being of those affected. In spite of a wide array of health care resources to identify and manage hearing loss, there exist vast disparities in outcomes, as well as access to and utilization of hearing healthcare. Hearing rehabilitation outcomes may vary widely among different populations and there is a pressing need to understand, in a broader sense, the factors that influence equitable outcomes, access, and utilization. These factors can be categorized according to the widely accepted framework of social determinants of health, which is defined by the World Health Organization as "the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age." According to Healthy People 2030, these determinants can be broken into the following domains: healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, social and community context, economic stability, and neighborhood and built environment. This article defines these domains and examines the published research and the gaps in research of each of these domains, as it pertains to hearing health and healthcare. Herein, we review foundational sources on the social determinants of health and hearing-related research focused on the topic. Further consideration is given to how these factors can be evaluated in a systematic fashion and be incorporated into translational research and hearing health care.

Decentralising paediatric hearing services through district healthcare screening in Western Cape province, South Africa

Background

Childhood hearing loss is a global epidemic most prevalent in low- and middle-income countries where hearing healthcare services are often inaccessible. Referrals for primary care services to central hospitals add to growing lists and delays the time-sensitive treatment of childhood hearing loss.

Aim

To compare a centralised tertiary model of hearing healthcare with a decentralised model through district hearing screening for children in the Western Cape province, South Africa.

Setting

A central paediatric tertiary hospital in Cape Town and a district hospital in the South Peninsula region.

Methods

A pragmatic quasi-experimental study design was used with a 7-month control period at a tertiary hospital (June 2019 to December 2019). Decentralising was measured by attendance rates, travelling distance, number of referrals to the tertiary hospital and hearing outcomes. There were 315 children in the tertiary group and 158 in the district group. Data were collected from patient records and an electronic database at the tertiary hospital.

Results

Attendance rate at the district hospital was significantly higher (p < 0.001). Travel distance to the district hospital was significantly shorter (p < 0.001). Number of referrals to the tertiary hospital decreased significantly during the intervention period (p < 0.001). Most children in both the tertiary and district groups (78.7% and 80.4%, respectively) passed initial hearing screening bilaterally.

Conclusion

Hearing screening should be conducted at the appropriate level of care to increase access, reduce patient travelling distances and associated costs and reduce the burden on tertiary-level hospitals.

Newborn Hearing Screening: association between coverage, and the availability of speech therapists and equipment in Brazil

PURPOSE

To determine the coverage of newborn hearing screening (NHS) and its association with the availability of speech therapists in the National Health System (SUS) and equipment in the states of Brazil in 2012 and 2018.

METHODS

This is a descriptive ecological time series study with the Brazilian states and live births as units of analysis. An exploratory analysis of newborn hearing screening coverage and descriptive data analysis were performed. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to measure the strength and direction of the association between two ranked variables.

RESULTS

Coverage in Brazil increased from 24.1% to 67.6%. Better coverage was observed in the South and Southeast regions in 2012, and in the former and Mato Grosso state (MS) in 2018. The average number of speech therapists was 4.79 and 8.9 / 100,000 inhabitants in 2012 and 2018, respectively. The index of "transient evoked otoacoustic emission" equipment was below 1 / 100,000 inhabitants in the two years in all the states of the country.

CONCLUSION

Screening coverage increased in Brazil, albeit below the recommended level, and is related to rising number of speech therapists in the SUS. Spatial distribution is heterogeneous throughout the country.

Risk factors for non-participation in the Danish universal newborn hearing screening program: A population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To explore risk factors for non-participation for the Danish universal newborn hearing screening program, including socioeconomic demographic and peripartum conditions. Furthermore, the participation rate between children with medical risk factors for congenital hearing loss and healthy newborns was analyzed.

METHODS

The study was register-based and included all live births in Denmark between January 1st, 2008 and December 31st, 2011, in total 251,081 children. Potential risk factors were extracted from eight Danish national registers and analyzed via logistic regression models.

RESULTS

With respect to the participation rate, the strongest predictors of non-participation were increased maternal parity (from OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.82-0.89; p<0.0001 to OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.38-0.47; P<0.0001), low socio-economic status, including income, (from OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.09-1.23; p<0.0001 to OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.37-1.56; p<0.0001) and home birth (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.42-0.80; p=0.001). Children with a medical risk factor for congenital hearing loss had a 1.97% lower participation rate. Assisted ventilation and admission to a newborn intensive care unit for > 48 hours were identified as independent risk factors of non-participation for this group (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52-0.80; p<0.0001 and OR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.85-0.99; p=0.036, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In order to improve the participation rate, a national screening database in conjunction with a stronger collaboration between screening units and other health care professionals who are in contact with the family during the newborn period is warranted.

Neonatal screening tests in Brazil: prevalence rates and regional and socioeconomic inequalities

OBJECTIVE

To identify the prevalence and associated factors with the performance of the Guthrie test, hearing, and red reflex screening tests in Brazil.

METHODS

This was a population-based, cross-sectional study that analyzed data on 5,231 children under 2 years of age participating in the National Health Survey of 2013. The study described the prevalence and Confidence Intervals (95% CI) of the three neonatal screening tests performed, in any period, and their association with the country's regions, skin color/ethnicity, private health insurance, and per capita household income. Logistic regression models were used, and odds ratios were calculated by incorporating sample weights.

RESULTS

The prevalence of Guthrie test screening in Brazil at any time of life was 96.5%, that of the newborn hearing screening was 65.8% and that of the red reflex screening test was 60.4%. The performance of the three screening tests was significantly higher among children whose mothers/guardians reported higher per capita household income, who lived in the South and Southeast regions, and who had private health insurance (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference regarding the performance of the tests according to skin color/ethnicity (p>0.05). The same inequalities were verified when the tests were performed during the recommended periods, with a strong socioeconomic gradient.

CONCLUSIONS

There are inequalities in the performance of neonatal screening tests in the country, and also in the performance of these tests during the periods established in the governmental guidelines. The guarantee of the performance of these tests in a universal and public health system, as in Brazil, should promote equity and access to the entire population.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Pediatric Single-Sided Deafness

OBJECTIVE

To explore socioeconomic disparities in pediatric single-sided deafness (SSD) treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary referral academic center.

METHODS

The charts of 190 pediatric patients with SSD were reviewed for demographic and clinical characteristics. Socioeconomic variables included race and insurance status. ZIP codes were used to obtain additional socioeconomic data from the American Community Survey, including mean and median income, percentage of families below the poverty level, and employment status. Socioeconomic status (SES) was classified by insurance status and income. Treatment outcomes were analyzed by socioeconomic variables.

RESULTS

There were 105 males and 85 females with a mean follow-up of 55.2 months and a mean age at diagnosis of 4.4 years. Sixty-three percent of children received treatment at last follow-up. Thirty-five percent of children had public insurance and 65% had private insurance. Treatment rates were similar in the private and public insurance groups (60.6% vs 66.7%, P = .42), but device type was different between groups (P = .02). Consistent device use was associated with private insurance (47.5% vs 38.9%, P = .003) and high SES (94.4% vs 80%, P = .04) on univariate but not on multivariate analysis. Aided audiometry results were similar between SES groups. No association was found between sex, race, income level, poverty level, or employment status and treatment outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Insurance type and SES were not associated with SSD treatment outcomes in children, although device use may be higher in children with private insurance and higher SES. Further research should focus on strategies to reduce barriers to treatment and improve adherence.

Territorial distribution and quality indicators of compulsory Neonatal Hearing Screening in Brazil after Law 12,303/2010

ABSTRACT Purpose: to survey the national literature after the universal neonatal hearing screening became compulsory, addressing aspects related to its territorial distribution, the screening procedures employed, and verify whether the internationally proposed quality indicators have been achieved. Methods: an integrative review of articles indexed in the BIREME, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Inclusion criteria: Articles in Portuguese and English published after Law 12,303/2010 was passed, whose theme was the neonatal hearing screening in Brazil. Exclusion criteria: Information from books and/or chapters, integrative review articles or reflexive articles, studies conducted in other countries, and studies approaching a specific subpopulation. The search strategy combined the following descriptors in Portuguese and English, respectively: “Triagem Neonatal”, “Perda auditiva”, “Recém-nascido”, “Brasil”, “Neonatal Screenings”, “Hearing Loss”, “Newborn”, “Brazil”. Results: of the 224 articles found, 26 were duplicates, 38 were books or book chapters, three were integrative reviews, 20 were studies conducted in other countries, and 120 were either reflexive articles or studies approaching a specific subpopulation. The final sample comprised 17 articles that addressed the proposed theme. Conclusion: the South and Southeast Regions of Brazil concentrated most of the programs, and the main technique employed was the evoked otoacoustic emissions. Two quality indicators were achieved: performance rates within the first month of life, and diagnosis referral rates. However, the coverage rates remained below the expectation, and there were still high retest referral rates, high nonattendance rates in the subsequent stages, low satisfactory retest result rates, and a large number of “fail” in the two screening stages.

Barriers to Rehabilitation Care in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess barriers to rehabilitation care for pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional questionnaire study.

SETTING

Tertiary medical center.

PATIENTS

Parents of children who received a CI from October 1996 to June 2013.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Factors related to access to and barriers in audiology and speech therapy services, factors related to CI use, and performance with CI using the Parents' Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH).

RESULTS

Thirty-five parents participated in the study (21 rural residents and 14 urban residents). Distance was a significant barrier to audiology services for rural participants compared with urban participants (p = 0.01). Consistent CI use was complicated by mechanical complications or malfunction in 70% of rural children compared with 33% of urban children (p = 0.05). Only 10% of rural children were able to access speech therapy services at diagnosis compared with 42% of urban children (p = 0.04). Low socioeconomic (SES) status and Medicaid insurance were associated with a lack of local speech therapists and medical/mechanical CI complications. Higher parental educational attainment was associated with higher PEACH scores in quiet conditions compared with families with lower parental education (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Rural children are often delayed in receipt of CI rehabilitation services. Multiple barriers including low SES, insurance type, and parental education can affect utilization of these services and may impact the recipient language development. Close follow-up and efforts to expand access to care are needed to maximize CI benefit.

Readability of online patient education materials for parents after a failed newborn hearing screen

OBJECTIVE

A cross-sectional study design was utilized to evaluate the readability of patient education materials on the newborn hearing screen from Google and major institutions.

METHODS

The top 55 websites from the Google search "failed newborn hearing screen" and websites from major institutions (the U.S. News & World Report ranked top 10 children's hospitals, the top 5 pediatric otolaryngology fellowships as ranked by Doximity Residency Navigator, the Centers for Disease and Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery) were compiled. Text from each website was edited to remove extraneous text. Readability grade was calculated using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score, Gunning-Fog Index (GFI), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Coleman-Liau Index, and Automated Readability Index. Intra- and inter-observer reliability were assessed.

RESULTS

26 websites from Google and 29 websites from major institutions were evaluated. From Google, provider-oriented websites (n = 2) were more difficult to read than patient-oriented websites (n = 24) with statistical significance for FKGL (p < 0.001), GFI (p < 0.013) and SMOG (p < 0.001). From the major institutions, more than half were at a reading level that exceeded the average American adult with an average FKGL 9.71 ± 2.69. Intra- and inter-observer reliability were both excellent with an intra-class correlation coefficient for each readability tool ≥0.950 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Online patient education materials about the newborn hearing screen may be too difficult for the average reader. Revisions to these materials and redirection to more readable online resources may be necessary to benefit a more inclusive patient population.

Maternal socio-demographic factors associated with low parity and grand multiparity in Nigeria

Parity may be categorized as low parity (one or two births), multiparity (three or four births), and grand multiparity (five or more births). In Nigeria, studies have examined factors associated with parity among women. However, these studies have focused on the associated factors of grand multiparity with near exclusion of associated factors of low parity. This study addressed this knowledge gap by examining maternal socio-demographic factors associated with both low parity and grand multiparity in Nigeria. The study analyzed secondary data from 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The weighted sample size was 25,852 women. With the use of Stata (version 14), analyses were performed at three levels. Multinomial logistic regression was applied at the multivariate level. Results showed that many of the studied maternal characteristics were significantly associated with either low parity or grand multiparity. Results further showed that while late age at first marriage, improved education, never experiencing child mortality, and polygyny increased the likelihood of low parity, improved education, polygyny, never experiencing child mortality, late age at first marriage, and higher household wealth reduced the likelihood of grand multiparity. These factors should be given prominence in population and women-centered programs in the country.

Audiological follow-up in a risk-based newborn hearing screening programme: An exploratory study of the influencing factors

Background

Follow-up return rate in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programmes is of specific importance as it ensures that benchmarks are met and that no child with suspected hearing loss is left unidentified.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the factors influencing audiological follow-up of high-risk infants in a risk-based newborn hearing screening programme.

Method

A non-experimental, exploratory, qualitative research design was employed. Purposive sampling was used. The study was conducted at a secondary level hospital in the public health care sector in South Africa. Participants comprised 10 caregivers (age range 26–40 years) of infants who had been enrolled in a risk-based newborn hearing screening programme, and returned for follow-up appointments. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Responses were recorded by the researcher and a colleague to ensure rigour and trustworthiness of findings. Data were analysed using thematic analysis for open-ended questions and descriptive statistics for the closed-ended questions.

Results

The most common positive contributors that facilitated participants’ attendance at follow-up appointments were: having friendly audiologists; a clear line of communication between caregiver and audiologist and a reminder of the appointment. The most significant perceived challenge that participants described in returning for the follow-up appointment was living in far proximity from the hospital.

Conclusion

Findings of the study revealed that influencing factors on follow-up return rate are demographic, socio-economic, and interpersonal in nature and further suggested the need for an all-inclusive appointment day. It may be of importance to not only look at what is being done to improve the follow-up return rate but also how it should be done in terms of professional-to-patient communication and interactions.

Infant, Maternal, and Hospital Factors' Role in Loss to Follow-up After Failed Newborn Hearing Screening

OBJECTIVE

Completion of newborn hearing screening (NBHS) is recommended by 1 month old. Delays and loss to follow-up and documentation (LTF/LTD) after failed NBHS are common. Committees of experts have established hospital guidelines to reduce LTF/LTD. We aimed to identify maternal and infant factors associated with LTF/LTD and determine if adherence to hospital guidelines is associated with timely completion of follow-up screening.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of all infants born in Colorado hospitals who failed the newborn admission hearing screening from 2007 to 2012 and a cross-sectional survey of NBHS coordinators at Colorado birthing hospitals. Neonatal intensive care unit infants were excluded. Outcomes included documented completion of the follow-up NBHS and completion by 1 month. Data sources comprised the electronic birth record, infant hearing integrated data system, and NBHS coordinator survey. Data were analyzed by logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 13,904 newborns did not pass the newborn admission hearing screening from 2007 to 2012, and 11,422 (82%) had documentation of a completed follow-up screening. A total of 10,558 (76%) completed follow-up screening by 1 month. All 53 NBHS coordinators completed the survey. Maternal age, education, smoking, and birth country; and payer, race, birth order, and population density were associated with completion of follow-up hearing screening. Maternal education, payer, population density, birth weight, and cleft lip were associated with completion by 1 month of age. Only birth in a facility that charges a rescreening fee was associated with completion of follow-up screening.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-income, rural, and minority infants are at risk for LTF. Further studies are needed to determine if adherence to guidelines can overcome barriers to follow-up.

Disparities in access to pediatric hearing health care

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There are significant disparities in care facing children with hearing loss. The objective of this review is to assess the current disparities in pediatric hearing healthcare delivery, describe the barriers of efficient and effective pediatric hearing health care, and explore the innovations to improve pediatric hearing healthcare delivery.

RECENT FINDINGS

Children with hearing loss from certain geographic regions or ethnic background are significantly delayed in diagnosis and treatment. Multiple patient characteristics (presentation of hearing loss), parental factors (insurance status, socioeconomic status, educational status, and travel distance to providers), and provider barriers (specialist shortage and primary care provider challenges) prevent the delivery of timely hearing health care. Advances, such as improved screening programs and the expansion of care through remote services, may help to ameliorate these disparities.

SUMMARY

Timely identification and treatment of pediatric hearing loss is critical to prevent lifelong language complications. Children from vulnerable populations, such as rural residents, face significant disparities in care. Careful assessment of these barriers and implementation of culturally acceptable interventions are paramount to maximize communication outcomes of children with hearing loss.

Promotion of early pediatric hearing detection through patient navigation: A randomized controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS

To assess the efficacy of a patient navigator intervention to decrease nonadherence to obtain audiological testing following failed screening, compared to those receiving the standard of care.

METHODS

Using a randomized controlled design, guardian-infant dyads, in which the infants had abnormal newborn hearing screening, were recruited within the first week after birth. All participants were referred for definitive audiological diagnostic testing. Dyads were randomized into a patient navigator study arm or standard of care arm. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with follow-up nonadherence to obtain diagnostic testing. Secondary outcomes were parental knowledge of infant hearing testing recommendations and barriers in obtaining follow-up testing.

RESULTS

Sixty-one dyads were enrolled in the study (patient navigator arm = 27, standard of care arm = 34). The percentage of participants nonadherent to diagnostic follow-up during the first 6 months after birth was significantly lower in the patient navigator arm compared with the standard of care arm (7.4% vs. 38.2%) (P = .005). The timing of initial follow-up was significantly lower in the navigator arm compared with the standard of care arm (67.9 days after birth vs. 105.9 days, P = .010). Patient navigation increased baseline knowledge regarding infant hearing loss diagnosis recommendations compared with the standard of care (P = .004).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient navigation decreases nonadherence rates following abnormal infant hearing screening and improves knowledge of follow-up recommendations. This intervention has the potential to improve the timeliness of delivery of infant hearing healthcare; future research is needed to assess the cost and feasibility of larger scale implementation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

1b. Laryngoscope, 127:S1-S13, 2017.

Otoacoustic Emissions in Rural Nicaragua: Cost Analysis and Implications for Newborn Hearing Screening

Objective (1) Determine the incidence and risk factors for congenital hearing loss. (2) Perform cost analysis of screening programs. Study Design Proportionally distributed cross-sectional survey. Setting Jinotega, Nicaragua. Subjects and Methods Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) were used to screen 640 infants <6 months of age from neonatal intensive care unit, institutional, and home birth settings. Data on 15 risk factors were analyzed. Cost of 4 implementation strategies was studied: universal screening, screening at the regional health center (RHC), targeted screening, and screening at the RHC plus targeted screening. Cost-effectiveness analysis over 10 years was based on disability-adjusted life year estimates, with the World Health Organization standard of cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) / gross domestic product (GDP) <3, with GDP set at $4884.15. Results Thirty-eight infants failed the initial OAE (5.94%). In terms of births, 325 (50.8%) were in the RHC, 69 (10.8%) in the neonatal intensive care unit, and 29 (4.5%) at home. Family history and birth defect were significant in univariate analysis; birth defect was significant in multivariate analysis. Cost-effectiveness analysis demonstrated that OAE screening is cost-effective without treatment (CER/GDP = 0.06-2.00) and with treatment (CER/GDP = 0.58-2.52). Conclusions Our rate of OAE failures was comparable to those of developed countries and lower than hearing loss rates noted among Nicaraguan schoolchildren, suggesting acquired or progressive etiology in the latter. Birth defects and familial hearing loss correlated with OAE failure. OAE screening of infants is feasible and cost-effective in rural Nicaragua, although highly influenced by estimated hearing loss severity in identified infants and the high travel costs incurred in a targeted screening strategy.

Follow-up in newborn hearing screening - A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The quality and efficiency of newborn hearing screening programs (NHS) rely heavily on appropriate follow-up. The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommends a follow-up rate of more than 95% of infants who fail the initial hearing screening. However, a 70% benchmark is considered to be more feasible. This high loss to follow-up (LTF) rate acts as a threat to the overall success of NHS programs. The objective of the study was to identify and examine the reported rates of LTF, attributed reasons for LTF and strategies undertaken to reduce LTF.

METHODS

Using a systematic search, articles published between 2005 to December 2015 were identified from PubMed/Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Scopus, Ovid, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library. To be included in the review, the study should be exploring the loss to follow-up or drop-out rate in newborn hearing screening programs and be published in an indexed peer-reviewed journal in the English language. The main outcome measures were overall rate of LTF, factors leading to LTF and measures adopted to overcome LTF.

RESULTS

53 articles were short-listed for data extraction. Out of these, 27 were single-centre studies, 19 were multi-centre, 3 compared multiple databases, and 4 used survey-based methods. Overall LTF rates of 20% in single-centre and 21% in multiple-centre studies were observed. Educational disparity and lack of adequate knowledge among parents were associated with LTF. The most commonly used strategy to overcome LTF suggested by studies was the use of an adequate data management system.

CONCLUSION

This review is a novel attempt to explore the LTF among NHS studies, reasons for LTF and strategies to reduce LTF. This review can act as a basis for planning and execution of effective NHS programs.

Rural barriers to early diagnosis and treatment of infant hearing loss in Appalachia

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess regional parental barriers in the diagnostic and therapeutic process after abnormal newborn hearing screening (NHS) testing.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional questionnaire study.

SETTING

Tertiary medical center.

PATIENTS

Parents of infants who failed NHS in Kentucky from January 2009 to February 2012.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Demographic information, county of origin, attitudes and perceptions regarding NHS, and barriers in the NHS diagnostic process.

RESULTS

There were 460 participants in the study, which included 25.4% of parents from the Appalachian region. Twenty-one percent of Appalachian parents found the process on newborn hearing testing difficult. Appalachian parents were more likely to have no more than 12 years of education (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; p = 0.02) and Medicaid insurance (OR, 2.3; p < 0.001) compared with non-Appalachian parents. A higher percentage of Appalachian parents were unaware of the NHS results at the time of hospital discharge than non-Appalachians (14% versus 7%, p = 0.03). Distance from the diagnostic/therapeutic center represented was a significant barrier for Appalachian parents (OR, 2.8; p = 0.001). Compared with urban parents, a greater percentage of rural parents had never heard of a cochlear implant (p = 0.01). Appalachian parents expressed a strong interest in telemedicine and a desire for closer services.

CONCLUSION

Multiple barriers including education, distance, accessibility, and socioeconomic factors can affect timely diagnosis and treatment of congenital hearing loss for children residing in rural areas. Educational and telemedicine programs may benefit parents in Appalachia as well as parents in other rural areas.

Neonatal hearing screening: what we have achieved and what needs to be improved

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature on neonatal hearing screening and its weaknesses with regard to missed follow-ups and delayed diagnosis and management.

RESULTS

The implementation of newborn hearing screening programs has indeed lowered the mean age of hearing loss identification and many deaf children are now diagnosed at an early age of some months. However, the present collection of 32 studies published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology revealed that late-onset deafness, auditory neuropathy, and the alarming percentage of newborns who fail the initial testing and then are lost to follow-up are major weaknesses of neonatal hearing screening programs. It seems that parents may be satisfied of hearing screening but in a significant percentage of them do not bring their children for follow-up or further testing due to phycho-social or other reasons. In addition, the same collection revealed that socioeconomic factors may have a significant influence on the effectiveness of hearing screening programs in the developed and developing countries, where improvements in health care politics, tracking system and public awareness is crucial for successful program implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Neonatal hearing screening programs have changed the whole picture of congenital deafness as age identification has significantly fallen with a very positive effect on timely management. However, the selected and proposed 32 related articles published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology show that there are still serious weakness in the neonatal hearing screening that need improvements in order to achieve an efficient and cost-effective system of deafness identification.

Caracterização dos programas de triagem auditiva neonatal das maternidades localizadas no município de João Pessoa-PB

OBJETIVO:avaliar os programas de Triagem Auditiva Neonatal (TAN) das maternidades localizadas no município de João Pessoa, PB.MÉTODOS:participaram deste estudo um total de cinco instituições hospital/maternidade (um hospital/maternidade federal, uma maternidade municipal, duas maternidades estaduais e uma maternidade privada), sendo selecionadas aquelas que apresentavam um programa de Triagem Auditiva Neonatal. Foi aplicado o questionário "Pesquisa da Triagem Auditiva Neonatal" contendo 29 questões a cinco Fonoaudiólogos e cinco gestores.RESULTADOS:todas as maternidades realizam a TAN no alojamento conjunto, UTI neonatal e berçário de risco intermediário. A triagem auditiva é rotineiramente solicitada pela equipe médica, enquanto que para uma maternidade a triagem auditiva não é solicitada rotineiramente. Todas as triagens são executadas pelo profissional fonoaudiólogo. O método exclusivo para a realização da triagem é o uso das Emissões Otoacústicas Evocadas. O número de encaminhamentos para reteste variou entre 4% e 15%. Todas as maternidades fornecem os resultados da triagem auditiva quanto ao "PASSE" por um laudo escrito. Os casos que necessitam de um acompanhamento ou diagnóstico audiológico são encaminhados para serviços públicos e privados de referência. Quem assegura e acompanha o diagnóstico é o fonoaudiólogo em quatro maternidades. Apenas uma maternidade relata que o serviço social é responsável por esta função.CONCLUSÃO:a metodologia do programa de TAN se mostrou adequada para os bebês do grupo sem risco para a deficiência auditiva, porém não há adequação para os bebês do grupo de risco. A maior deficiência do PTAN em João Pessoa ocorre na etapa do registro dos resultados e controle dos encaminhamentos. Não existe um banco de dados que possibilita controlar o índice de cobertura da TAN, dos retestes, de encaminhamentos e falsos positivos. Há uma dissociação entre as etapas do programa, escassez de recursos e falta de participação efetiva dos gestores, apesar da publicação da lei sobre a obrigatoriedade da realização das EOE em maternidades e das recomendações do Ministério da Saúde para a sua realização.

Overview of newborn hearing screening programs in Brazilian maternity hospitals

Introduction

Newborn hearing screening has as its main objective the early identification of hearing loss in newborns and infants. In order to guarantee good results, quality indicators for newborn hearing screening programs are used as benchmarks.

Objective

To observe and describe the reality of national newborn hearing screening programs in Brazil, and to evaluate if they can be referred to as having quality indicators.

Methods

Integrative literature review in databases such as MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, and Google.

Results

22 articles were analyzed in relation to newborn hearing screening coverage, the place and period newborn hearing screening was performed, initial results, referral to diagnostic procedures, loss to follow-up, and occurrence of hearing loss.

Conclusion

Transient otoacoustic emissions were the most often used screening methodology. Coverage varied widely, and only a few maternity wards achieved 95% of the cases screened. Referral to diagnostic procedures was under 4%, but lack of adherence can be considered a barrier to successful follow-up. The occurrence of hearing loss ranged from 0% to 1.09%. The involvement of government, physicians, and society is necessary, so that the goals of newborn hearing screening can be achieved.

Newborn hearing screening and early diagnostic in the NICU

The aim was to describe the outcome of neonatal hearing screening (NHS) and audiological diagnosis in neonates in the NICU. The sample was divided into Group I: neonates who underwent NHS in one step and Group II: neonates who underwent a test and retest NHS. NHS procedure was automated auditory brainstem response. NHS was performed in 82.1% of surviving neonates. For GI, referral rate was 18.6% and false-positive was 62.2% (normal hearing in the diagnostic stage). In GII, with retest, referral rate dropped to 4.1% and false-positive to 12.5%. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 13.2% of infants and conductive in 26.4% of cases. There was one case of auditory neuropathy spectrum (1.9%). Dropout rate in whole process was 21.7% for GI and 24.03% for GII. We concluded that it was not possible to perform universal NHS in the studied sample or, in many cases, to apply it within the first month of life. Retest reduced failure and false-positive rate and did not increase evasion, indicating that it is a recommendable step in NHS programs in the NICU. The incidence of hearing loss was 2.9%, considering sensorineural hearing loss (0.91%), conductive (1.83%) and auditory neuropathy spectrum (0.19%).