Universal newborn hearing screening: Feasibility in a community hospital

Background. The National Institutes of Health and the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing have recommended universal newborn hearing screening. The feasibility of universal newborn hearing screening in a community hospital, however, has not been demonstrated. We initiated a universal newborn hearing screening program using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) at a community hospital to assess the feasibility of universal hearing screening in this setting. Methods. A screening team composed of a family practice physician, family medicine resident, audiologist, and four technicians was developed. The study compared testing time between the technicians and the audiologist and assessed whether the technicians were able to perform hearing testing accurately and reliably. Results. A total of 627 infants were screened. Of those, 11 (1.8%) failed TEOAE screening and were referred to a tertiary care center for further evaluation. Six of the 11 referrals were found to have a hearing impairment. Trained technicians were found to be capable of performing the screening accurately and reliably. Conclusions. Universal newborn hearing screening using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions is feasible in a community hospital.