EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION (EHDI) PROGRAM
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State administrative rules governing newborn and infant hearing screening, rescreening, diagnostic audiologic assessment, reporting, follow-up, confidentiality, cCMV testing, and parental objection procedures for infants born in Iowa.
No material clinical or coverage changes in this revision.
Screening and Reporting Requirements
inv-01: Screening and reporting criteria
Requirements for universal newborn hearing screening and who must perform or ensure screening:
Birthing hospital responsibilities
- Designate an employee responsible for the newborn hearing screening program; the hospital retains ultimate responsibility if services are contracted out.
- Provide hearing screening to every newborn prior to discharge unless the newborn is transferred for acute care or is born with a condition incompatible with life.
- If a newborn is transferred for acute care, notify the receiving facility of the screening status; the receiving facility is responsible for completion prior to discharge from the nursery.
- Ensure newborn hearing screening is performed by a health care professional.
- Report newborn hearing screening results in written form to the parent or guardian and to the newborn's primary care provider upon discharge (or report screening status if not tested prior to discharge).
- Report newborn hearing screening results to the department pursuant to reporting requirements.
Birth center responsibilities
- Designate an employee responsible for the newborn hearing screening program.
- Refer every newborn to a health care professional for screening prior to discharge and arrange an appointment no more than 15 days from discharge; report the appointment time, date and location to the parent.
- The referred health care professional shall complete the screening within 30 days of discharge (unless the parent fails to attend; such failures must be documented and reported to the department).
- Report screening results in written form to the parent, to the primary care provider, and to the department pursuant to reporting requirements.
- Follow the hearing screening protocols prescribed by the department.
Community / other-location screening
- The physician or other health care professional providing primary pediatric care for a newborn born outside a birthing hospital or birth center shall ensure a hearing screening is performed and shall arrange an appointment and report the appointment time, date and location to the parent.
- The health care professional who completes the screening shall report results in written form to the parent, report results to the primary care provider, and report results to the department pursuant to reporting requirements; if the parent fails to attend the appointment, the failure must be documented and reported to the department.
- Follow the hearing screening protocols prescribed by the department.
Definitions and Coding Thresholds
| Definitions of provider types (audiologist, audiology assistant, audiometrist, provider) |
Responsibilities of Birth Facilities and Providers
Birthing hospital responsibilities
Designate an employee to be responsible for the hospital's newborn hearing screening program; the hospital retains ultimate responsibility for screening and reporting even if services are contracted out. Provide hearing screening to every newborn prior to discharge except when the newborn is transferred for acute care or is born with a condition incompatible with life. Notify receiving facility if transferred so they complete screening prior to nursery discharge. Report screening results in writing to the parent or guardian, report results to the primary care provider at discharge (or report screening status if not tested), follow department hearing screening protocols, and report results to the department per 641-3.7(135).
- Designate an employee responsible for the newborn hearing screening program (hospital retains ultimate responsibility even if contracted).
- Provide screening to every newborn prior to discharge except when transferred for acute care or born with a condition incompatible with life.
- If newborn transferred for acute care, notify receiving facility; receiving facility must complete screening before nursery discharge.
- Report results in writing to parent/guardian and to the primary care provider at discharge (or report status if not tested).
- Follow department-prescribed hearing screening protocols and report results to the department pursuant to 641-3.7(135).
Birth center responsibilities
Designate an employee responsible for the birth center's newborn hearing screening program. Before discharge, refer every newborn to a health care professional for screening, arrange an appointment within 15 days of discharge and report the appointment details to the parent. Ensure the referred health care professional completes the screening within 30 days of discharge (or document and report missed appointments), report results in writing to the parent, report results to the primary care provider and to the department, and follow department hearing screening protocols.
- Designate an employee responsible for the birth center's newborn hearing screening program.
- Refer every newborn for screening prior to discharge and schedule the appointment no more than 15 days from discharge; inform the parent of time, date, and location.
- Ensure the screening is completed within 30 days of discharge; if parent fails to attend, document the failure in the medical/educational record and report it to the department.
- The screening completer must report results in writing to the parent, report to the primary care provider, report to the department pursuant to 641-3.7(135), and follow department protocols.
Community/other-location screening
For births that occur outside birthing hospitals or birth centers, the physician or other health care professional providing primary pediatric care must ensure a hearing screening is performed, arrange an appointment and inform the parent of time, date, and location, and ensure the screening completer reports results in writing to the parent, to the primary care provider, and to the department; document and report any parent failure to attend.
- Ensure a newborn hearing screening is arranged for out-of-facility births and report appointment time, date, and location to the parent.
- The professional who completes the screening must report results in writing to the parent, report to the primary care provider, and report results to the department pursuant to 641-3.7(135).
- If the parent fails to attend the appointment, document the failure in the medical or educational record and report it to the department.
- Follow the department-prescribed hearing screening protocols.
Key Term Definitions
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