Volunteer-based universal newborn hearing screening program.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate efficacy and costs of a volunteer-based universal newborn hearing screening program.


METHODS
The Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford newborn hearing screening program database was reviewed. Results and costs of the hearing screens were analyzed.


RESULTS
Hearing screens were performed on 5771 newborns treated in the well-baby nursery and nine infants from this population were identified with hearing loss, seven of whom had no risks factors for hearing loss. Using volunteers to perform the first-line screen with the automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) technology, 91% of infants registered for screening were evaluated prior to discharge. An additional 4% of infants were screened as outpatients. If an infant failed the AABR on two occasions, he or she was rescreened with the AABR or transient evoked otoacoustic emissions by a licensed audiologist, often while the infant was still in the hospital. Using this algorithm, 5% of infants tested in the well-baby nursery needed additional follow-up as an outpatient. Cost analysis of this volunteer-based program reveals a per/baby screening cost of $27.41.


CONCLUSIONS
A volunteer-based hearing screening program is a viable option for hearing screening in well-baby nurseries but does not result in significant cost savings during the first 2 years of the program.
Messner
A H
AH
Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. anna.messner@medcenter.stanford.edu
Price
M
M
Kwast
K
K
Gallagher
K
K
Forte
J
J
D001299:Audiometry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D002140:California; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006758:Hospital Volunteers; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity