Ms Felicity Hood1,3, Dr Melinda Barker1,2,3, Dr Zeffie Poulakis2,3,4
1Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program, Centre for Community Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Australia, 2Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, 3Population Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia, 4Psychology Department, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
Biography:
Felicity Hood is a Senior Project Officer with the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP) at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH). Her role includes quality assurance, protocol development, and learning and improvement projects. Felicity has a background in nursing, including midwifery, community, and research. She also maintains a keen interest in bioethics. She has been with the VIHSP team for 16 years and is part of the Hearing Research Team at RCH.
Abstract
Introduction
The Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP) Australia, consistently meets and exceeds benchmarks for the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) pathway. Despite this, some infants either do not complete the next pathway step, or complete it later than recommended for best outcomes.
Purpose
To determine which factors impact whether an infant with target hearing loss (THL) completes the EHDI steps of amplification (hearing aid fitting) or enrolment in early intervention by the recommended benchmark.
Method
• For infants born between January 2005 and December 2022 who were diagnosed with a THL:
o retrospective quantitative data review for information about timing and engagement with the EHDI steps of amplification and enrolment in early intervention;
o retrospective chart review for information about decisions regarding amplification and early intervention
• Interview with the VIHSP Early Support Service Manager.
Results/Conclusion
Most infants with THL engage with the entire EHDI pathway, many on time, some late. Families that do not complete the pathway generally stop responding rather than actively decline.
Challenges to engagement include
– Family beliefs about their baby’s hearing loss diagnosis and/or prognosis
– Challenges in determining a final diagnosis
– Complex medical issues
– Disadvantaged or complex family contexts
– Families’ prior lived experience of hearing loss
– Cultural interpretations of a hearing loss diagnosis.
Future directions
Benchmarks provide guidelines for professionals. However prioritisation of family-centred practice is also important to ensure continued engagement for each infant with a THL in the EHDI pathway.