2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
| Improving EHDI in the State of South Dakota; A Parent’s Perspective
Improving EHDI in the State of South Dakota; A Parent’s Perspective
Purpose: To identify, from a parent’s perspective, ways to improve the follow-up process after a child has been referred for further testing after a newborn hearing screening. This study aimed to identify obstacles parents faced during their experience in the South Dakota Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) process and to gain suggestions for removing/overcoming those obstacles.
Method: The study included 14 parents of children who had recently been involved in the EHDI process in South Dakota. To collect information, focus groups were held in two locations within South Dakota. During the focus groups, parents were asked to share positives and negatives about their experience in the EHDI process and to provide any improvement suggestions.
Results: The primary complaints expressed were the lack of communication along with the inconsistency of information being communicated. There were also concerns about a lack of urgency from the hospital staff, audiologist, and pediatricians/primary care providers to identify their child’s hearing loss
Conclusion: Discrepancies exist between the recommended EHDI timeline and the realized by parents in South Dakota. Parents have realized that they are not moving through this timeline at an appropriate speed and that there is a lack of resources being provided throughout the process. A common suggestion was to present information to parents prenatally. This would help to inform the parents early on of the newborn hearing screening and its importance.
- Identify weaknesses and barriers to timely follow-up that parents encounter throughout the EHDI process in South Dakota
- Identify areas that can be strengthened throughout the EHDI process
- Identify various ways information can be presented to parents about newborn hearing screenings
Presentation:
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Presenters/Authors
Megan Wegher
(Co-Presenter,Author), University of South Dakota, megan.wegher@usd.edu;
Megan Wegher is an Audiology (Au.D.) student at the University of South Dakota, where she also received her B.S. in communication sciences and disorders. Megan’s research interests include the diagnosis and intervention of children with hearing loss. Most recently, she has been involved in newborn hearing screening training programs within the well-baby and NICU nurseries in South Dakota. Megan is currently working as a graduate researcher on a grant awarded from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
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Kiersten Meyer
(Primary Presenter,Author), University of South Dakota, kiersten.r.peterson@coyotes.usd.edu;
Kiersten Meyer is a second year Speech Language Pathology student at the University of South Dakota. She will be graduating with her Master of Arts degree in August 2017. She is currently working as a graduate researcher on a grant awarded from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to make improvement to the EHDI program. Kiersten is particularly interested in the speech and language development of children with hearing loss and promoting early intervention. Recently, she has been involved in newborn hearing screening training programs within the NICU and well-baby nurseries in South Dakota.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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