Changing performance of the Health Visitor Distraction Test when targeted neonatal screening is introduced into a health district.
The change in the performance of the HVDT as targeted neonatal hearing screening has been introduced has been examined for the Nottingham district. The records for all children born in the period 1984-1993 within the district and having a permanent hearing loss of > or = 50 dB in the better ear have been examined. The referral route leading to ascertainment of the hearing loss as well as the result of any screening tests were noted. The data shows an increase in the number referred prior to the HVDT, mainly as a result of neonatal screen failure. At the same time there has been a reduction in the sensitivity of the HVDT from 78% in the first half of the decade to 38% for the second half. There are also some indications of an increase in the coverage and the failure rate over the time. Possible reasons for these changes are discussed.
Wood
S
S
Children's Hearing Assessment Centre, Queen's Medical Centre University Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Davis
A C
AC
McCormick
B
B
D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D012189:Retrospective Studies