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Research Projects

Research Projects         Program Evaluation

In addition to supporting the implementation of state-based tracking and surveillance systems, CDC EHDI actively supports research efforts to:

• Use information gained through EHDI programs to identify causes of hearing loss

• Determine long-term outcomes of early identification and related family issues

• Asses the effectiveness and cost of EHDI programs

• Collect information on referral rates from EHDI programs

• Increase physician awareness and involvement

New Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Announcement for Research: New Technology to Screen for Mild Hearing Loss in Children (SBIR [R43/R44]). This SBIR is being cosponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

This SBIR announcement was released/posted on September 8, 2006. The earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov (e.g., opening date) is November 1, 2006.

Integration Early Hearing Detection and Intervention and Newborn Screening Programs:  Develop ways of integrating Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) with the NBS program and to do prospective follow‑up of cohorts of newborns who are deaf or hard of hearing, hemoglobinopathies, phenylketonuria, and other disorders identified through NBS.

Etiology of Hearing Loss: Evaluate all infants with a unilateral or bilateral hearing loss of any degree (mild to profound) in an attempt to determine the causes.

Cost of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Programs: Determine the economic costs associated with EHDI programs and to assess the impact of screening and diagnostic procedures on parents and families.

Efficacy of Otoacoustic Emissions/Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Protocol in Identifying Hearing Loss: Investigate the efficacy of the OAE/AABR screening protocol in identifying hearing loss.  

Efficacy of Early Identification of and Intervention for Congenital Hearing Loss:  Investigate the effectiveness of early identification and intervention of infants and children with hearing loss in terms of their long-term communication, cognitive, and social outcomes.

Psychological and Family Issues Project: Assess the psychoemotional impact of false positive hearing screening results on families, including the potential for vulnerable child syndrome.

Assessment of Loss to Follow-Up: Identify factors or barriers responsible for loss to follow-up in EHDI programs and develop successful and innovative strategies that will reduce loss to follow-up. 

AAP Champion Project:  Increase the awareness and involvement of physicians with EHDI programs, strengthen state policy related to EHDI, and engage other medical organizations in improving EHDI programs at the national and state levels.

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 Program Evaluation

Family Satisfaction Evaluation Project

Background: Parent satisfaction is essential to the success of a state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program - a program designed to serve the needs of families with infants and young children who have hearing loss. Currently, there is no widely used survey instrument designed to collect data on parent satisfaction with a state EHDI program. Such a tool would allow for more complete evaluation of a state EHDI program and enhance the ability of the state to modify its program as needed based on user satisfaction.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is two fold: 1) to design survey instruments that can be piloted for program evaluation in two states, Colorado and Massachusetts,
and 2) to evaluate parent satisfaction within these two state EHDI programs.

Design: Three instruments were developed to gather data from parents.

Survey 1 is designed to gather information from parents of infants who passed their initial newborn hearing screening at the birth hospital. (Survey 1English (PDF) and Survey 1 Spanish (PDF))

Survey II is designed for parents of infants who passed their newborn hearing screening after they went home from the hospital. (Survey 2 English (PDF) and Survey 2 Spanish (PDF))

Survey III is designed for parents with young children diagnosed with hearing loss.
These surveys are being used to evaluate parent satisfaction with the EHDI programs in Colorado and Massachusetts. (Survey 3 English (PDF) and Survey 3 Spanish (PDF))

Sorry, we can't give you medical advice. Please talk with your doctor for questions about yourself or your family. For other information, please contact ehdi@cdc.gov

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Date: March 19, 2009
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities