EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021
(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)
3/15/2022 | 12:00 PM - 12:25 PM | Critical Community Collaborations: Ensuring EHDI During Time of Crisis | Room 8
Critical Community Collaborations: Ensuring EHDI During Time of Crisis
The provision of both routine and acute healthcare services was disrupted in March 2020 when the Coronavirus pandemic led to emergency orders precluding outpatient appointments. Early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) was impacted in multiple ways across screening, diagnostics, and early intervention services due to reduced service provision, family reticence, and an overall lack of access to services. This presentation offers the experience of a community collaborative of diagnostic audiologists partnering with state of Ohio EHDI staff to evaluate the impact COVID-19 had on diagnostic follow-up for newborn hearing screening referrals. Three action steps taken by this community collaborative include: 1) Surveying providers in May 2020 to establish the state of diagnostic services; 2) Formulating urgent guidelines to triage infants based on key factors to ensure timely diagnosis; and 3) Monitoring data to evaluate initial and recovery phase impacts on diagnostic completion. Results demonstrated that infants born January-April 2020 were diagnosed at an older age, but mean age at diagnosis quickly recovered to baseline by May 2020. Additionally, loss-to-follow-up for diagnostic testing also recovered during the later months of 2020. Survey results suggest that quick recovery was related to diagnostic centers deeming infant diagnostics “essential” and prioritizing them over other services increasing access at a critical stage. Infant diagnostics were also prioritized according to triaging schemes. To assist audiologists providing diagnostic testing for follow up of infants beyond 6 months of age, Ohio adapted the American Academy of Audiology’s (AAA) 2020 Pediatric Behavioral Guidelines to standardize care. Ohio’s efforts demonstrate that partnership between audiologists and their state EHDI program can maintain outcomes during periods of crisis through collective clinical support and data tracking. Ongoing monitoring and collaboration are necessary to ensure future timely access to essential care during healthcare or staffing crises.
- Attendees will be able to identify the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on infant diagnostic testing after referral on newborn hearing screening.
- Attendees will be able to describe community collaboration and how partnerships between healthcare providers and EHDI staff can facilitate early identification.
- Attendees will be able to evaluate evidence-based resources used to facilitate diagnosis of childhood hearing loss.
Presentation:
3353554_14941UrsulaFindlen.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Ursula Findlen
(InPerson), Nationwide Children's Hospital, ursula.findlen@nationwidechildrens.org;
Ursula M. Findlen, Ph.D., is the Director of Audiology Research in the Division of Clinical Therapies- Audiology Department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor-Clinical at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Findlen engages in clinical practice and research endeavors related to pediatric (re)habilitative audiology, particularly in regards to a multidisciplinary team approach to family-centered care. Her research interests include infant diagnostics and improving outcomes of children with hearing loss through systematic quality improvement and population health endeavors.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Gina Hounam
(), Nationwide Children's Hospital, gina.hounam@nationwidechildrens.org;
Gina Hounam is the program manager of Audiology at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Gina received a B.A. in Speech and Hearing Science at Ohio State University and received her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati. Gina has been an audiologist for 15+ years and her professional interests include relationship-centered care, community outreach, UNHS and hearing aids.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment,Management position from Employer.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Reena Kothari
(), Ohio Department of Health, Reena.Kothari@odh.ohio.gov;
Reena Kothari, Au.D. is currently a Public Health Audiology Consultant for The Ohio Department of Health in the Infant Hearing Program and the newborn hearing screening contact. Reena has spoken both nationally and statewide about Ohio’s EHDI program. She has developed many public awareness materials in several formats for the Ohio Department of Health’s Infant Hearing Program. Reena was the team lead for the National Initiative on Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) and is a member of several committees in Ohio. Her previous experience includes newborn hearing screening, clinical and dispensing services for adults and pediatrics. Reena has a strong background in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) and is interested in continuous quality improvement for successful outcomes for children identified with hearing loss and deafness.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Mallory Minter-Mohr
(), Bureau of Maternal, Child and Family Health, Mallory.Minter-Mohr@odh.ohio.gov;
Mallory Minter-Mohr is a Researcher for the Ohio Department of Health with the Bureau of Maternal, Child and Family Health. She provides data support to the Infant Hearing Program, as well as Children’s Hearing & Vision, Adolescent Youth Surveys, and Birth Defects.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Lisa Hunter
(), Cincinnati Children's Hospital, lisa.hunter@cchmc.org;
Lisa Hunter is Scientific Director of Audiology and Professor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati. She collaborates on a number of funded studies including evaluating physiologic factors associated with risks for hearing loss and understanding mechanisms for improved follow-up with newborn hearing screening in high risk famlies. She is a faculty with the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -