Meeting the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Standards in a Large Metropolitan Children's Hospital: Barriers and Next Steps

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine how a large metropolitan children's hospital's practices align with the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 1-3-6 guidelines (diagnose hearing loss by 3 months of age, fitted with hearing aids within 1 month of diagnosis, and enroll in early intervention by 6 months of age) and examine variables that have impacted meeting these guidelines. This hospital is not a birthing hospital. Therefore, the first recommendation (hearing screen by 1 month of age) was not evaluated. Method One hundred forty-one auditory evoked potential evaluations for infants under the age of 6 months were reviewed for this study. Data were only gathered for infants identified with a bilateral hearing loss ( n = 34). The following was recorded: degree of hearing loss, number of diagnostic sessions over time, the percentage of infants who transitioned to hearing aid fittings, and the age at which JCIH benchmarks were accomplished. Results Sixty-two percent of infants were diagnosed with hearing loss by 3 months of age, 48% of infants were fitted with hearing aids by 4 months of age, and the average age of infants enrolled in early intervention was 4.58 months. Seventy percent of infants were fitted within 1 month of the diagnosis of hearing loss. The identified variables that led to the hearing aids being fitted greater than 1 month after the diagnosis are as follows: cancellations/missed appointments, middle ear involvement, and mild hearing loss. Conclusions Results of this internal audit revealed opportunities for growth in better meeting and exceeding JCIH recommendations of diagnosis by 3 months of age and hearing aid fitting within 1 month of diagnosis. Adjustments in the scheduling process and appointment options have been implemented in response to these results. Additional examination of why these recommendations are not being met and what can be done to achieve them is needed.