Newborns who fail initial hearing screening are encouraged to follow up to get further tests to confirm diagnosis of hearing loss. Loss to follow-up of hearing screening is defined as a newborn who fails the initial hearing test before hospital discharge but does not follow up with further hearing tests to confirm diagnosis of hearing loss. Although rates of loss to follow-up are considered high in Louisiana, with great efforts by Louisiana Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program (EHDI), loss to follow-up has significantly improved in the last several years. A trend analysis of loss to follow-up was helpful in evaluating accomplishments to reduce loss to follow-up and refining plans and strategies to enhance the quality of newborn hearing detection and intervention in the state.
Objective
The study aimed to analyze the trend in loss to follow-up of hearing screening among newborns who failed initial hearing screening tests prior to hospital discharge, and evaluate accomplishments in improving loss to follow-up from 2004 to 2011 in Louisiana.