CDC
EHDI Program
Vision, Mission, Goals,
Program Objectives and
Performance Indicators
The vision of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s
(CDC) Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program is to promote
communication from birth for all children.
Our Mission
The mission of CDC EHDI programs is for every
state and territory to have a complete EHDI tracking and surveillance
system that ensures children with hearing loss achieve communication and
social skills commensurate with their cognitive abilities. To do this, it
is essential that infants with hearing loss are identified early, and
appropriate intervention services are initiated. Without early
identification and intervention, children with hearing loss may experience
delays in the development of language, cognitive, and social skills that
may prevent success in academic and occupational achievement.
Our Goals
CDC and state representatives developed seven
national goals that illustrate the comprehensiveness of EHDI programs, and
reflect the ideal achievement. For each national goal there is a set of
specific program objectives, that are essential in accomplishing each
national goal. Each program objective has a quantitative measure
(performance indicator) that can be used to track the progress toward the
goals and objectives (Click on Goals 1-7 below for objectives and indicators).
The first three goals reflect the recommendations of other organizations,
such as NIH/NIDCD, HRSA/MCHB, JCIH, ASHA, AAA, and AAP (see
explanation of acronyms).
Goal 1: All newborns will be screened for hearing loss
before one month of age, preferably before hospital discharge.
Goal 2:
All infants who screen positive will have a diagnostic audiologic
evaluation before 3 months of age.
Goal 3:
All infants identified with a hearing loss will receive appropriate early
intervention services before 6 months of age.
These first three goals are frequently
referred to as the 1-3-6 plan.
Goal 4: All infants
and children with late onset, progressive or acquired hearing loss will be
identified at the earliest possible time.
Comprehensive EHDI tracking and
surveillance systems must go beyond the 1-3-6 plan. There is a need for the
EHDI system to identify and track infants and young children who are missed
or who do not have an identified hearing loss at birth. Primary Care
Providers (PCPs), parents, and other care providers should refer an infant
for screening any time they suspect a hearing loss. Audiologists who later
identify infants and children with a hearing loss should report it to the
EHDI tracking system.
Goal 5:
All infants with hearing loss will have a medical home.
PCPs play a key role in the
success of the EHDI programs. It is critical that infants and their
families have a medical home and that services are coordinated between the
medical home and the EHDI program. PCPs can help families understand the
EHDI process and ensure that infants referred for audiologic evaluation
complete that evaluation by 3 months of age.
Goal 6:
Every state will have a complete EHDI Tracking and Surveillance System that
will minimize loss to follow-up.
The EHDI tracking system should include
all infants who are identified with a hearing loss, including infants with
a mild or unilateral loss. The system should also include infants who have
risk factors for late onset or progressive hearing loss and infants and
children identified beyond the newborn period with a hearing loss. All
identified infants should be referred to intervention services. These
services include medical, educational, audiologic, and support services.
These services must be coordinated between the family, the medical home,
early intervention services, audiologists, and other professionals involved
in the care of infants and children with hearing loss.
Goal 7: Every state
will have a comprehensive system that monitors and evaluates the progress
towards the EHDI Goals and Objectives.
It is important for the EHDI state
programs to evaluate how their program is being implemented and the extent
to which the objectives are being achieved. Families and other stakeholders
should be involved in the evaluation process. Evaluation should be an
on-going process. Written reports on the progress and status of the state
need to be regularly produced.
The EHDI tracking system is designed to
minimize the loss to follow-up and ensure that all infants with hearing
loss receive intervention services that will allow them to achieve their
optimal level of communication and social skills. This document provides
guidance on setting-up stated-based EHDI programs to fulfill our mission.
National EHDI Goals
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Date:
October 27, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
