Implementation Strategies for Universal Detection of Hearing Loss. † 552

By hospital choice, inpatient otoacoustic emission (OAE) testing was done after delivery in one area hospital and early outpatient OAE testing after discharge was promoted at two others with an information sheet, a list of 4 rehab centers and an offer of free OAE testing, all in the mothers delivery packet. All testing was done by audiologists from PCMC. Results of Inpatient testing (Oct 95-Sep 96) are as follows: Table After implementation delays, then with no return testing for the first 3 months, it was decided an RN would contact the parents by phone to encourage a return for testing. This took until 1 July to implement: Table Inpatient screening had 3.4% miss or refuse testing. The rescreen rate was initally poor but improved to 84% for the last 3 mo with 27 cases of hearing loss eventually detected. Perhaps 2 cases were not detected from those not tested or not retested. Outpatient screening resulted in delayed implementation, very poor% tested, and based on inpatient results, perhaps 25 missed cases of hearing loss. We conclude that the best strategy for universal detection of hearing loss is inpatient hearing screening after delivery.

Table 1

Table 2