According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) website, “hearing loss is the most common congenital condition in the United States (US). Each year, an estimated three in 1,000 infants are born in the US with moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss resulting in delayed development in language, learning, and speech. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing face a potential developmental emergency and should be identified as quickly as possible so that appropriate intervention services can be started.”
To address these issues, the AAP has developed several tools and resources that Primary Care Clinicians can use to guide the primary areas of focus for promising practices and processes within Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI). Visit aap.org/EHDI for to learn more about AAP EHDI Goals, EHDI Background, AAP EHDI Regional Network Liaison and Chapter Champions.
Some of the resources available under the AAP EHDI Tools for Pediatric Primary Care Practice include:
- Glossary of Terms for Newborn Hearing Screening
- A list of terms relating to Newborn Hearing Screening and EHDI. The list includes hearing screening methods, national EHDI tracking terms, late onset hearing loss, auditory neuropathy, and risk factors. The eleven risk factor indicators developed by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) are also available to assist with care coordination.
- Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Guidelines for Pediatric Medical Home Providers, an Algorithm
- The easy to follow flow chart can serve as guidelines for pediatric primary care providers by providing a step-by-step guide on hearing screening, diagnosis, and management from birth through 6 months of age and beyond.
- 1-3-6 Newborn Hearing Screening Checklist
- The checklist serves as a guide for pediatric primary care providers to ensure all steps are taken in the care of an infant who does not pass newborn hearing screening.
- Reducing Loss to Follow-up/Documentation in Newborn Hearing Screening: Guidelines for Medical Home Providers
- A flow chart to assist Medical Home providers in determining guidelines for hearing screening follow-up, audiology referrals, discussing an early intervention comprehensive plan or the need for ongoing surveillance/screening.
- Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Patient Checklist for Pediatric Medical Home Providers
- A child specific checklist to track and monitor an infant’s hospital-based Inpatient Screening Results, Outpatient Screening Results, Pediatric Audiology Evaluation, Enrollment in Early Intervention (IDEA, Part C), Medical Evaluations to determine etiology and identify related conditions, and Ongoing Pediatric Audiology Services.
- Appropriate Referrals Form for Pediatric Medical Home Providers
- A child specific checklist to assist Medical Home Providers when making referrals throughout the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) process.
To learn more about the Oklahoma Newborn Hearing Screening Program, gather resources for families, or discuss national AAP EHDI resources, please send an email to NewBornScreen@health.ok.gov
- Glossary of Terms for Newborn Hearing Screening
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Documents/NBHSDefinitions1%200414.pdf - Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Guidelines for Pediatric Medical Home Providers, an Algorithm https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Documents/Algorithm1_2010.pdf
- 1-3-6 Newborn Hearing Screening Checklist
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Documents/NBHSChecklist1%20FINAL%200414.pdf - Reducing Loss to Follow-up/Documentation in Newborn Hearing Screening: Guidelines for Medical Home Providers
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Documents/NBHSReducingLossChart1%20FINAL%200414.pdf - Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Patient Checklist for Pediatric Medical Home Providers
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Documents/Checklist_2010.pdf - Appropriate Referrals Form for Pediatric Medical Home Providers
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/PEHDIC/Documents/Algorithm2_2010.pdf