Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)
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Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
Medical Home - Primary Care Providers
Role of the Medical Home in EHDI
The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 2019 position statement includes the medical home as an integral part of the EHDI system. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the medical home concept includes accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective care.
AAP - EHDI Makes a Difference (PDF)
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Hearing Screening Follow-up Process (PDF)
Review newborn hearing screening results at first well-child visit.
Confirm that follow-up appointments have been scheduled.
Ensure follow-up appointments are completed and results received.
Minnesota EHDI Guidelines for Primary Care and Medical Home Providers (PDF)
Recommendations for primary care and medical home providers during the process of diagnosis after a refer/did not pass result on the newborn hearing screen, after a definitive diagnosis of permanent or transient hearing loss and monitoring emerging hearing loss throughout childhood.
Primary care providers should offer referrals to children with hearing loss to medical specialists: otolaryngology, ophthalmology, and genetics; and connect families with early intervention through Help Me Grow.
Help Me Grow MN Training for Medical Professionals and Clinic Staff (YouTube)
Medical home provider resources
- Clinic Quality Assurance Checklist (PDF)
- Guidelines for Hearing Screening After the Newborn Period to Kindergarten Age (PDF)
A guide to hearing screening for children after newborn age until five years old – including pass/refer criteria, frequency of screening, ideal setting for screening, necessary training, documentation for hearing screening, and monitoring program quality. - Hearing Screening Training Manual (PDF)
For use in Child and Teen Checkups (C&TC), Early Childhood Screening, Head Start, and school-based programs - Child & Teen Checkups Information for Providers
- Clinical Practice Guideline: Otitis Media with Effusion (Update) 2016
Guideline with recommendations to manage otitis media with effusion (the presence of fluid in the middle ear without signs or symptoms of acute ear infection). - Clinical Practice Guideline: Tympanostomy Tubes in Children (Update)
Guideline intended for clinicians involved in managing children (six months to 12 years) with tympanostomy tubes, or being considered for tympanostomy tubes, as an intervention for otitis media of any type. - Hearing Assessment in Infants and Children: Recommendations Beyond Neonatal Screening, 2009
- Position statements from the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH)
- Resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to assist clinicians
Strengthen care coordination
- Enhancing Collaboration Between Primary and Subspecialty Care Providers for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (PDF)
- Sharing Child Information to Coordinate Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Referrals Guide (PDF)
- Refer to early intervention through Minnesota Help Me Grow
Connect families to resources that help young children develop, learn and grow, as well as connecting families with early intervention through their local school district.
Engage families as partners
MDH mails an EHDI Parent Resource Binder (PDF) to families in Minnesota with a child recently identified as deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). The binder features the EHDI Roadmap (PDF), which offers information for families to make a care plan after identification.
Connect to community resources
There are many resources available to families with a child identified as DHH. These are just some of the Minnesota-specific resources providers can share with families. For additional resources, visit Resources for Families.
- Minnesota Department of Human Services: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
- Local Public Health - County Agencies
- Minnesota Hands and Voices
Provides parent to parent support for families in Minnesota. - Minnesota Hands and Voices: Resource Directory
Below are some common misconceptions about hearing loss and newborn hearing screening that clinicians might encounter. For additional information, please see Myths vs. Clinical Facts of Newborn Hearing Screening and Early Diagnosis (PDF).
Misconception: Screening isn't really necessary. Parents can tell if their child has a hearing loss by the time their child is 2-3 months old.
Clinical Fact: Before newborn hearing screening, most children were not found to have a hearing loss until two to three years of age. Children with milder hearing loss were not found until four years of age. The goal of EHDI is to identify hearing loss by 3 months of age.
Misconception: Hearing loss risk factor assessments will identify all children with hearing loss.
Clinical Fact: As many as 50% of infants born with hearing loss have no known risk factors.
Misconception: There is no rush to identify hearing loss.
Clinical Fact: Children identified with hearing loss by 3 months of age and enroll in early intervention before 6 months of age have the best opportunity for optimal vocabulary outcomes. A referral to early intervention can be made through Help Me Grow.