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V. Hawaii

Background and Current Status:

Newborn hearing screening began in 2 Honolulu hospitals in 1992. By 2000, all 15 birthing facilities provided screening. The structure and protocol for screening, notification, audiological assessment and referral to early intervention services are in place. Newborn hearing screening is standard medical practice for newborn care; parent consent for screening is not required.

The NHS system uses HI*TRACK data tracking software, which is installed in all birth hospitals and in the state-level NBS Program office. Hospitals send data electronically twice a month to the state-level NBS Program HI*TRACK system to be merged. The audiological assessment data, recommendations for management, and date of referral to the early intervention programs are entered into the state-level HI*TRACK system only. 

Currently the CSHNB data systems include at least 5 separate management information systems (MIS) using different software, data fields, and structure for similar fields, and operating in separate programs with different missions, policies and practices. These systems are:

• NHS MIS

• EI MIS (in development, to be completed in summer 2001).

• Start MIS and Early Intervention Section. 

• Newborn Metabolic Screening (NMS)

• Children with Special Health Needs Program (CSHNP)

• MIS 

Other relevant tracking and surveillance systems not under FHSD are:

• Birth registry: Office of Health Status Monitoring
  Public Health Nursing Branch (PHN) MIS (PHNs serve children with developmental delays and medical/health problems and certain environmentally at risk families with young children) 

• Birth defects surveillance

Proposed Tracking and Surveillance 

The Hawaii project “Tracking, Integration and Research for Early Screening, Assessment and Intervention” (EASI) proposes to link relevant MISs. On the basis of information about each system and input from Advisors and technical experts, project staff will determine integration strategies. The Project Director will collaborate with other funded projects to develop standardized data collection, tracking and analysis methodology. Objectives are to:

• Integrate NHS with early intervention system. 

• Integrate NMS with the integrated NHS/early intervention system.

• Establish a link exporting information from PHNB-MIS into EASI integrated system.

• Explore and implement a practicable 
  method for verifying that NHS and NMS programs screen all infants born.

• Develop data reporting systems to support 
  surveillance, epidemiological analyses, research, and quality assurance.

The project director will investigate confidentiality issues and the use of unique identifiers. EASI will implement firewall as recommended.

For more information about the Hawaii program please contact:

Pat Heu
(808) 733-9070
Mail to: plheu@mail.fhsd.health.state.hi.us 

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Date: October 27, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities