Hospitals, Birthing Centers, and Audiology Providers

Hearing

Health Care Providers Are Essential

Health Care Providers and Hearing Professionals are an essential part of the Florida EHDI team. This page will provide easy access to the eReports™ system in order to report screening and diagnostic results, as well as making relevant resources available to the medical professionals around the state. The objective of the EHDI program is to encourage early diagnosis of hearing loss and provide the opportunity for early intervention. Florida Statutes requires that all babies are screened for hearing loss at birth, unless a parent objects. EHDI staff tracks all newborns that do not pass their initial hearing screening to encourage rescreening and diagnostic testing, if needed. This data is reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For questions about the FL EHDI program, contact us at 866-289-2037.

Reporting Hearing Screening Results

How to Report Screening Results

There are three methods to report results:

1. Enter results on the newborn screening blood specimen card. Please use the link below for instructions on how to complete the hearing section of the card.

How to Complete the Hearing Section of the Blood Card

2. Enter results electronically through the online portal, eReports™ , no later than 10 days after the hearing screening is completed.

3. Enter results through the Newborn Screening Web Order Application (if your facility participates in this system).

  • To register for eReports™ – complete the eReports Registration Form
  • Once the completed registration form is received, you will receive an email reply with your username, temporary password, any necessary training requirements, and everything you need to begin reporting screening or diagnostic results.
  • If you are already registered, review these eReports Screening Module Updates

To report results for babies born out of state, please call the Newborn Screening Program at 866-289-2037. 

Hearing Screening Methods

    • Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) – A miniature earphone and microphone are placed in the ear, sounds are played and a response is measured.
    • Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) – The best test available for newborns and infants up to 6 months of age that can provide information about the softest level of sound the ear can hear. Sounds are played to the baby’s ears and band-aid like electrodes are placed on the baby’s head to detect responses. Sounds are presented to the ears using small earphones. The electrodes pick up responses from the hearing nerve and a computer measures the responses to identify babies who have a hearing loss.
    • Hospitals may use AABR and OAE equipment for screenings.

Best Practices

  • Newborns may be screened by either ABR or OAE equipment. 
  • Babies who received NICU care > 5 days should be screened using an ABR.
  • Ensure both the right and left ear is screened at each stage of screening.
  • A child who does not pass the initial screening but is still at the hospital should be retested prior to discharge.
  • No more than two high-quality screens should be completed inpatient. 
  • Rescreening should be completed on both ears, even when one ear passed the initial hearing screening.
  • Avoid excessive rescreening to try to obtain a passing result.
  • Hearing screenings not reported on the specimen card must be reported electronically via eReports as soon as possible (no later than 10 days).
  • If a baby does not pass the final hearing screen, further hearing testing is necessary.
  • A referral may be necessary to facilitate further testing. Advise parents to request a referral from baby’s PCP. 

Reporting Diagnostic Results

Who should be reporting:

  • Audiologists performing diagnostic hearing testing on children 0-3 years of age must report results to EDHI program via eReports™

What should be reported:

  • All diagnostic hearing test results, for every appointment until confirmed diagnosis is reached for each ear, including normal hearing
  • Any follow-up appointment date 
  • Overall hearing status entered for each appointment; this includes reporting for no show and cancelled appointments

When should these results be reported:

  • Evaluation testing results must be reported to the EHDI Program within two business days of the evaluation via eReports™.
  • Reporting diagnostic results timely is critical to ensure infants receive timely referrals to Early Steps, as well as to reduce or eliminate unnecessary follow-up.
  • The EHDI Program refers all infants reported with hearing loss directly to the Early Steps Program, which may assist families with purchasing hearing aids, as well as providing access to speech therapy, and other hearing-related services. 
  • EHDI also employs two parent consultants (parents of children with hearing differences) who contact every family directly to offer parent-to-parent support, answer questions, and provide resources within the state that may be helpful. Timely reporting is critical to ensure these families receive the information they need, right when they need it most. 

How should diagnostic results be reported to EHDI?

  • To register for eReports™ – complete the eReports Registration Form
  • Once the completed registration form is received, you will receive an email reply with your username, temporary password, any necessary training requirements, and everything you need to begin reporting screening or diagnostic results.
  • If you are already registered, review these eReports Screening Module Updates 

Diagnostic testing included for reporting: 

Each year, the EHDI program tracks over 9,000 babies needing follow-up hearing screenings and diagnostic testing in the state of Florida.  In partnership with our hearing providers, the EHDI program strives to meet the 1-3-6 benchmarks, according to recommendations set forth by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH), 2019:

  • Hearing screening by 1 month of age;
  • Hearing loss diagnosed by 3 months of age; and
  • Early intervention by 6 months of age

Pediatric audiologists are essential members of the EHDI team by providing critical hearing screenings and diagnostic testing for newborns.  Follow up hearing testing is the next step in the early identification of children who are deaf or hard of hearing before 3 months of age.

    • Reporting diagnostic test results is now available online and will be submitted electronically via eReports™.
    • Electronic reporting saves time and significantly reduces the need for manual entry of hearing screening results.
    • Accurate and timely reporting helps to ensure babies who are diagnosed with hearing loss are referred as quickly as possible to Early Steps for intervention services.
    • Current eReports diagnostic module accepts:
      • Auditory brainstem response (ABR) evoked potentials using click and frequency-specific stimuli.
        • Diagnostic ABR Right/Left: Click ABR
        • C. ABR Right/Left: Bone conduction
        • B. ABR 500 Right/ Left: 500 Hz toneburst
        • B. ABR 1000 Right/Left: 1000 Hz toneburst
      • Either transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE)or distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE)
        • Diagnostic OAE Right/Left
      • High Frequency Right/Left: Tympanometry:
        • 1000 Hz probe tone (up to age 9 months);
        • 226 Hz probe tone (> 9 months of age)
      • VRA Right/Left: Visual Reinforcement Audiometry
      • Degree and type of hearing loss:
        • Report confirmed type and degree of hearing loss
      • Overall Hearing Status (choose one):
        • Apparent normal hearing in both ears at this time
        • Apparent middle ear dysfunction
        • Suspected inconclusive or borderline results
        • Medical complications prevent hearing testing
        • No show/cancelled
        • Permanent/long term hearing loss has been confirmed during this visit
      • Follow up testing date
      • Comments: additional test results and other information relevant to follow-up care