Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program
The primary care provider (PCP) in cooperation with the audiologist directs and coordinates, as needed, the evaluation and referral process within the child's medical home by:
- Referring a newborn that does not pass a hearing screening to a pediatric audiologist for a diagnostic audiologic evaluation. View how hearing screening is performed.
- Providing a statement to parents stressing the importance of follow-up, the time and location of the follow-up appointment, and the telephone number of the screening audiology center.
- Referring a baby diagnosed with hearing loss to appropriate agencies capable of providing intervention services and to appropriate medical specialists (i.e., otolaryngologist and geneticist) as may be indicated by the diagnostic audiologic evaluation.
- Monitoring individual cases to assure that the diagnostic audiologic evaluation was completed, and facilitating the infant's receipt of amplification if needed and linkage to Early Intervention services.
- Providing updates regarding the infant's hearing status to the Department of Health upon request.
Providing ongoing monitoring and surveillance of all children, especially those with risk factors for late-onset and early childhood hearing loss. Approximately 2 to 3 babies per 1,000 are born with a hearing loss. Of babies with hearing loss, about 90% are born to hearing parents.