AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING

MONTHLY

September 2022 | Issue 19

a group of diverse individuals on a video conference

The Virtual Site Visit Program

The Virtual Site Visit (VSV) Program is a new program at Colorado EHDI that launched in 2021. This program was developed as a way to fill a gap in the current Colorado EHDI screening system. The VSV team is made up of at least one audiologist, a parent representative from Colorado Hands & Voices, and the Colorado EHDI director. The VSV team schedules an individual visit (over Zoom) with the newborn hearing screening coordinator and/or nurse manager at a hospital-based newborn hearing screening program. If a hospital does not have a newborn hearing screening coordinator, then the VSV team will meet with members involved in newborn screening at that site.

View in ASL

IN THIS ISSUE

The Virtual Site Visit (VSV) Program

Summary of Findings

Opportunity to participate

During the visit, the VSV team works with the representatives at the hospital to identify strengths and opportunities for screening program enhancement. After the visit, the VSV team provides helpful, positive, and supportive feedback that is individualized to each hospital to help improve the quality of their programs and ensure that best practices in newborn hearing screening are being implemented.

Summary of VSV Findings:

The VSV team has conducted more than 10 site visits at hospital-based newborn hearing screening programs. So far, the VSV program has gained understanding about the policies and practices that each hospital has in place. The team also has identified areas for screening program enhancement. Below is a chart summarizing our findings for 10 hospitals. There are many areas that are following best practices. There are several areas that could benefit from enhancement in order to adhere to best practices. Curriculum (NHSTC 2020).

Virtual Site Visit Program Current Data at a Glance

Image Text: Virtual Site Visit (VSV) Program Current Data at a Glance

10 - Number of VSV's performed at newborn hearing screening programs in Colorado to date.
50% - Percent of VSVs performed in rural areas (Rural defined as a population of 49,999 or less.)
50% - Percent of VSVs performed in urban areas. (Urban defined as a population of 50,000 or more.)

Key Themes

100% of programs provide some type of hands-on training for newborn hearing screeners.
100% of programs follow best practices if a baby fails a screening in one ear.
100% of programs follow best practices when it comes to number of screening attempts in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
88% of programs following best practices when it comes to number of screening attempts in the well-baby nursery.
67% of programs report a high level of newborn hearing screening turnover.
63% of programs use and follow scripts when discussing screening results with families.
60% of programs provide families with written information about newborn hearing screening.
67% of programs report a high level of newborn hearing screening turnover.
55% of programs provide families with information about CMV.

Interested in Participating in the Program?

The VSV team conducts 1-2 VSVs per month. If you/your program is interested in participating in the VSV program, please contact [email protected] or [email protected] to schedule a virtual site visit.

CONTACT

For technical questions about hearing screening, please contact:

Hannah Glick, AuD, PhD, CCC-A

EHDI Consultant

[email protected]

303-518-2053

This is the Newborn Hearing Screening Monthly Newsletter. COEHDI supports hearing screening, identification, and intervention efforts to ensure appropriate language, communication, and social development. COEHDI operates under the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind. You can subscribe to related topics and other newsletters using the online sign-up form.