Assessing Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Receipt and Timeliness of Newborn Hearing Screening and Diagnostic Services Among Infants Born in Four States.

The study compares receipt and timeliness of newborn hearing screening and follow-up diagnostic services between the pre-pandemic birth cohort and the pandemic birth cohort in four participating states. Findings from this study will help inform state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs in the future should a major public health event occur again.

Education in the genetics of hearing loss: a survey of early hearing detection and intervention programs.

PURPOSE: Permanent hearing loss at birth or in early childhood is common and has many genetic and environmental causes. Advances in the identification and characterization of genetic forms, combined with the early identification of children through the implementation of state-based Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs suggests the need for education about the causes of hearing loss among professionals who work in these programs. METHODS: An online survey was directed to state program coordinators of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs to identify gaps in knowledge about the genetic causes of hearing loss and to assess interest in continuing education on this topic. RESULTS: The study identified clear gaps in respondents' knowledge about genetic causes of hearing loss. Twenty percent of respondents indicated that they had received no training in genetics. When asked to rate their knowledge about the genetics of hearing loss, most rated their knowledge as "not adequate." Respondents expressed interest in genetics training through several modalities, including a distance learning format. CONCLUSION: This study provides documentation of the need for education of health care professionals involved in the early identification of hearing loss. Suggestions for suitable educational formats based on respondent needs and interests are provided.

Genetics content in the graduate audiology curriculum: a survey of academic programs.

Astounding progress has been made in the identification and characterization of genes for hearing loss, which has led to an increasing role of genetics evaluation and testing in the diagnostic process for children with hearing loss. The importance of health professionals such as audiologists gaining core competencies in genetics has been recognized. The current report describes a survey of academic programs in audiology designed to determine the extent to which genetics content is included in the curriculum. Responses from 56% of existing academic programs indicate that 95% include some genetics content in their programs, with the total number of classroom hours ranging from 2 to 65. Most programs included information on basic genetic mechanisms, syndromes, and interpreting family history information, while many fewer reported covering the molecular basis of hearing loss, genetic testing, or ethical or legal issues. The results of this survey demonstrate the need to incorporate more genetics content into audiology curricula and suggest strategies for assisting audiology faculty with this process.