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