2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
3/10/2020 | 10:10 AM - 10:40 AM | A systematic review of state EHDI programs with formalized diagnostic ABR protocols and loss to follow-up and loss-to-intervention rates | Benton
A systematic review of state EHDI programs with formalized diagnostic ABR protocols and loss to follow-up and loss-to-intervention rates
Inconsistency among audiologists providing Auditory Brainstem Response (ABRs) testing leads to confusion for patients, families, and coordinating professionals. Because there is not a nationwide protocol, training programs teach audiologists about diagnostic testing with great variability. These discrepancies can cause diagnostic centers to perform different test procedures which translates into inconsistent diagnoses. An established protocol based on empirical data and best practice, coordinated between AAA and the state EHDI programs is needed to ensure that all audiologists follow the same protocol for all patients in the state, as well as ultimately at the national level.
While the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) provides thorough guidelines for diagnostic evaluations, they do not have a protocol that is specific and widely adopted with detailed parameters for each diagnostic test. The state of Virginia created a protocol in 2018 that specifies which tests should be performed and specific parameters for each test. Several other states have also created guidelines and protocols that are publicly available through NCHAM. However, there is quite a range between these documents.
Initial review of CDC data from 2016 suggests that on average, the loss to follow-up is lower for states that have protocols for diagnostic testing. This presentation will identify which states have an established protocol for diagnostic testing and will examine the guidelines set forth by each state. Additionally, it will evaluate whether having a state-wide protocol for diagnosing hearing loss helps reduce loss to follow-up and loss to intervention.
Consistency is needed in the District of Columbia, as the loss to follow-up rate for diagnosis is 89% and the loss to follow-up rate into early intervention is 100%. If a protocol can be established based on those that already exist, the nation’s capital could be used as a pilot for a national protocol.
- Participants will identify which states provide a written diagnostic protocol for audiologists and which do not.
- Participants will discover which states have the highest and lowest rates of loss to follow-up and loss to intervention.
- Participants will gain an understanding of whether having a state provided protocol predicts a lower loss to follow-up or loss to intervention.
Presentation:
21060_12782SydneyBednarz.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Sydney Bednarz
(), The River School, sbednarz@riverschool.net;
Dr. Bednarz holds a BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from St. Cloud University in Minnesota, and a Clinical Doctorate of Audiology (Au.D.) from Central Michigan University. She completed her externship at Boston Children’s Hospital and participated in the LEND program, an interdisciplinary training program dedicated to improve health and counseling professionals’ knowledge on working with children, adolescents, and young adults with developmental and related disabilities. Dr. Bednarz is certified through the American Speech Language Hearing Association.
She participates in the DC Early Detection and Intervention Advisory Board. Her areas of interest in audiology include: early intervention, the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program, hearing aid fittings, cochlear implant programming, and educational audiology.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -