2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
Tennessee EHDI Needs Assessment Project (TNNAP): A Collaborative Effort with State Stakeholders to Identify Provider Needs
Tennessee's Department of Health Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (TN EHDI) Program has a long-standing relationship with the AuD program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Since 2014, AuD students have assisted TN EHDI in gathering hearing screening information on babies deemed lost to follow-up or documentation. More recently, two UTHSC AuD students, along with their supervising audiologists, were tasked to create a needs assessment survey for EHDI providers statewide. The Tennessee EHDI Needs Assessment Project (TNNAP) content was designed based on input from a variety of stakeholders, many of whom are a part of the EHDI Program’s learning community. The TNNAP work group included physicians, audiologists, hospital screeners, early interventionists, parent support providers, midwives, and speech-language pathologists, who engaged with the students in a large work group as well as smaller focus groups. The TNNAP questions evaluated overall confidence and/or competence levels of providers in the following areas: 1) 1-3-6 month benchmarks; 2) risk factors associated with hearing loss; and 3) impact of late identification and intervention. In addition, the survey respondents were asked for their input on barriers to timely follow-up so the EHDI Program might further evaluate current resources. The multi-branched format of the survey allowed respondents to answer uniquely curated questions relating to the areas mentioned above and tailored specifically to the provider’s point of care. In addition to providing input on content and survey functionality, work group members were essential in the distribution of the online survey to peers who share their provider role. Presenters will discuss lessons learned in the process of survey development, share results of the survey, and provide examples of training opportunities and educational resources reported to be preferred by EHDI providers of various roles.
- The learner will be able to explain how to utilize a statewide work group to gain input for a needs assessment survey.
- The learner will be able to describe how a state EHDI program can partner with a university AuD program to achieve needs assessment goals.
- The learner will be able to give examples of training and educational resources that are preferred by role-specifc EHDI providers.
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Presenter: Julie Beeler
Julie Beeler is the Program Liaison at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in Knoxville. She is also an adjunct instructor for the College of Deaf Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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Ashley Argo is currently a second-year audiology student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in American Sign Language & Deaf Studies at Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee. For almost two years, she has worked as a Newborn Hearing Screen Technician with Pediatrix Medical Group where she developed an interest in the early identification and intervention of childhood hearing loss. As audiologist, Ashley aims to continue working within the EDHI system of care to improve outcomes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing babies in Tennessee.
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Megan Keyser will complete the second year of her AuD program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Audiology in May 2023. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Natural Science/Pre-Audiology at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Megan is a bilateral cochlear implant user with a passion working in pediatric audiology.
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Patti Johnstone, PhD, CCC-A/SLP oversees and manages all aspects of audiology clinical education at UTHSC. She directs the departmental audiology clinic and the university clinical audiology supervisors. She facilitates contracting with and outreach to external, audiology clinical practicum sites.
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