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Date and Duration: May 2024 – July 2024 (3 Months)

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EDHI) Community of Learning (COL)

Purpose

Early hearing detection is vital for newborns, as undiagnosed hearing loss can lead to delays in speech, language, vocalization, and social development. In Minnesota, while most infants are screened for hearing loss before one month of age, only 45.8% of those who failed their initial screening in 2020 received a diagnostic evaluation by three months. By addressing gaps in early hearing care, this Community of Learning (COL) aims to increase the timeliness of hearing loss diagnosis and strengthen referral follow-up procedures.

References

1. Meyer AC, Marsolek M, Brown N, Coverstone K. Delayed Identification of Infants Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing – Minnesota, 2012-2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 2020;69(11):303-306. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6911a6

2. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020 Summary of Infants Not Passing Hearing Screening Diagnosed Before 3 Months of Age.; 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/2020-data/07-diagnosed-by-3-months.html

Goals & Objectives

1. Close gaps in the timely diagnosis and intervention for infants with hearing loss

2. Support facilities with evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes

3. Enhance screening processes to identify hearing loss early

4. Streamlining of data collection processes

5. Electronic Health Record (EHR) updates

6. Providing local options for referral

7. Addressing no-show appointments

8. Sharing information with outlying clinics

9. Improving documentation of results in EHR

As a result, of the participating hospital teams, timeliness of diagnosis has improved, with 80% of newborns who failed the initial screening successfully scheduled for a rescreen within 15 days.

How Success Is Tracked

A family of measures is a set of related metrics used in Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives to assess the overall impact, outcomes, and processes of a project. These measures provide a comprehensive picture of the initiative’s effectiveness and guide decision-making. A family of measures typically includes three types of metrics:

Outcome Measures

Definition: Metrics that reflect the ultimate goals or results of the initiative, focusing on the impact on patients, populations, or systems.
Purpose: To evaluate whether the initiative achieved its desired results.

Process Measures

Definition: Metrics that assess whether specific actions or interventions were implemented as intended. These focus on the steps or processes involved in achieving the outcome.
Purpose: To monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the processes driving the outcomes.

Balancing Measures

Definition: Metrics that ensure improvements in one area do not negatively affect other areas. They check for unintended consequences or trade-offs.
Purpose: To ensure that changes made to improve one outcome do not create new problems elsewhere.

Family Of Measures

1. Number of newborns who underwent initial Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS)

2. Number of newborns who did not pass initial Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS)

*3. Number of newborns who did not pass the initial Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) and were scheduled for an outpatient rescreen within 15 days prior to discharge

4. Number of newborns who did not pass the initial Newborn Hearing Screen (NHS) and were not scheduled for an outpatient rescreen within 15 days prior to discharge

*Key highlight(s)

Toolkit

Our toolkits provide targeted resources specific to each QI program, offering essential materials to support healthcare teams in achieving improvement goals.

AAP- EHDI Provider Education Center
MDH- EHDI
MDH REFER Result- Hearing Screen Result Notification
MDH- Teach Back
MDH- Communicating REFER/Did Not Pass Results to Families

Reports

2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Community of Learning Report

Download

MNPQC’s Quality Improvement Programs were developed with support and guidance from hospital teams and professional faculty throughout the state of Minnesota. The contents do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by MNPQC or our partners.