
doi: 10.1002/ohn.1171
pmid: 39960295
AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) program providing telehealth auditory brainstem response (tele‐ABR) testing to rural families in order to reduce disparities in hearing loss (HL) diagnosis.Study DesignThis was a retrospective analysis of infants born at the Uintah Basin Medical Center from 2006 to 2021 who failed the newborn hearing screen (NBHS) and underwent ABR.SettingIn‐person ABRs were conducted at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT. Tele‐ABRs were conducted at the DHSS satellite site in Roosevelt, UT.MethodsOutcomes measured included demographics, age at testing, and distance traveled. t‐Tests and χ2 tests were used to compare in‐person and tele‐ABR groups.ResultsOf 125 infants who failed the NBHS, 66 (52.8%) underwent tele‐ABR. Tele‐ABR participants were more likely to be American Indian (P < .05). Distance traveled was lower for the tele‐ABR group: 13.1 miles vs. 102.8 miles (P < .001). Age at testing was earlier for the in‐person group (35.7 vs 47.2 days, P = .04), but there was no difference in adherence to the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) guideline of testing within 3 months (P = .19).ConclusionTele‐ABR participants benefited from shorter travel distances compared to in‐person participants while still receiving timely diagnosis. Given that the tele‐ABR group included more American Indians, this approach may enable evaluation of an underserved population. Tele‐ABR is a viable diagnostic tool to reduce barriers to timely testing.
Male, Rural Population, Infant, Newborn, Audiology, Telemedicine, Neonatal Screening, Utah, Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem, Humans, Feasibility Studies, Female, Healthcare Disparities, Hearing Loss, Retrospective Studies
Male, Rural Population, Infant, Newborn, Audiology, Telemedicine, Neonatal Screening, Utah, Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem, Humans, Feasibility Studies, Female, Healthcare Disparities, Hearing Loss, Retrospective Studies
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