N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 10 §§ 69-8.4

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 51, December 18, 2024

Section 69-8.4 - Procedures for infant hearing screening

(a) All infants born in the facility shall receive an initial hearing screening prior to discharge from the facility, pursuant to section 69-8.2(b) of this Subpart, except as provided in section 69-8.2(c) of this Subpart.

(b) Prior to the hearing screening, parents shall be provided educational materials, supplied by the department to the facility, or consistent in content with department-supplied materials, regarding infant hearing screening.

(c) If the infant passes the hearing screening, the results shall be documented in the infant's record by the individual who performed the screening and documented in the discharge summary.

(1) The parent shall be informed of the screening results prior to the infant's discharge from the facility.

(d) The parent shall be provided educational materials, supplied by the department to the facility, on developmental milestones for communication and signs of hearing loss in young children.

(e) In the event that an infant is not screened for hearing loss prior to discharge from inpatient neonatal care, the program manager shall ensure that:

(1) the parent is offered the opportunity to schedule an appointment for the infant to be screened for hearing loss on an outpatient basis within four weeks from the infant's discharge from the facility. Whenever practicable, the parent shall be afforded such opportunity to schedule an outpatient screening prior to the infant's discharge from the facility;

(2) if the parent is not provided the opportunity to schedule an appointment for an outpatient screening prior to the infant's discharge from the facility following birth, a minimum of two documented attempts, either by United States mail or by telephone, excluding busy signals or no answer, shall be made to contact the parent post-discharge to schedule an appointment for an outpatient screening for the infant;

(3) if the parent agrees to schedule an appointment for an outpatient hearing screening by the facility or a provider under contract with the facility, the appointment shall be scheduled and documented in the infant's record;

(4) if the parent returns to the facility or provider under contract with the facility for an outpatient screening, the screening results shall be documented in the infant's record and reported to the department as prescribed by the commissioner; and

(5) if the parent declines to schedule an appointment for an outpatient hearing screening for the infant by the facility or by a provider under contract with the facility, such declination shall be documented in the infant's record and discharge summary:

(i) the parent shall be provided instead with a prescription for the infant to obtain an outpatient hearing screening from an article 28 facility or provider licensed by and authorized under State Education Law to perform infant hearing screening; and

(ii) the prescription shall specify that the results of the hearing screening shall be returned to the facility.

(f) If the infant fails the two-tier inpatient hearing screening, an outpatient follow-up screening and/or diagnostic audiological evaluation shall be performed to confirm the results of the inpatient screenings.

(g) If the facility has elected to conduct follow-up hearing screening either directly or through a contractual agreement, the following procedures shall be followed:

(1) the parent shall be informed of the infant's screening results by an individual trained as required in section 69-8.3(c) and (d) of this Subpart to counsel the parent(s) on the importance of a follow-up screening;

(2) the parent shall be provided with educational materials on the importance of early detection of hearing loss, supplied by or consistent with department materials;

(3) the parent shall be provided, prior to the infant's discharge, a prescription to obtain follow-up infant hearing screening post-discharge to be performed at the facility or by a provider under contract with the facility;

(4) if the parent agrees, an appointment shall be scheduled prior to the infant's discharge from the facility except under circumstances where such scheduling is not practicable, such as on weekends, or within 10 days post-discharge;

(5) the appointment shall be documented in the infant's record and discharge summary to facilitate follow-up by the infant's primary health care provider;

(6) if an infant does not present for a scheduled appointment for a follow-up screening based on the infant's failure of an inpatient screen, the facility or provider under contract with the facility shall make at least two documented attempts either by United States mail or by telephone, excluding a busy signal or no answer, to contact the parent and reschedule the appointment;

(7) If the facility or provider under contract with the facility cannot reach the family or for any other reason cannot schedule and complete a follow-up screening within sixty days from discharge, the infant shall be referred to the early intervention official in his or her county of residence as an at-risk child in accordance with section 69-4.3 of this title, unless the parent objected to the referral at the time of the inpatient hearing screening. The parent's objection to a follow-up screening must be entered into EHDI-IS or any successor system;

(8) if the parent declines to schedule a follow-up screening with the facility or provider under contract with the facility for an infant who has failed the inpatient infant hearing screening, the following procedures shall be used:

(i) the parent(s) shall be provided with a prescription issued by the facility for the infant to obtain a follow-up screening from a provider licensed under State Education Law and authorized under such law to perform infant hearing screening:

(a) the prescription shall include a request that results of the screening be submitted back to the facility;

(ii) the parent shall be provided with a list of qualified providers of infant hearing screening, which shall consist of providers licensed under State Education Law and authorized under such law to perform infant hearing screening and article 28 facilities;

(iii) the individual counseling the parent shall document in the infant's record and discharge summary the parents' decision not to schedule an appointment with the facility and the issuance of a prescription to obtain follow-up screening from another qualified provider;

(iv) the infant's primary health care provider, when such provider is known, shall be notified of the parents' decision to obtain a follow-up outpatient screening; and

(v) if the prescription is filled and the results of the follow-up screening are returned to the facility, such results shall be documented in the infant's record.

(h) If the facility elects to refer infants who fail the inpatient hearing screening to other facilities or providers licensed under the State Education Law and authorized by such law to perform infant hearing screening on an outpatient basis, the following procedures shall be used:

(1) the parent shall be informed that the screening should be completed within four weeks from the infant's discharge from the facility if possible and not later than 12 weeks following the birth;

(2) the parent shall be provided with educational materials on the importance of early detection of hearing loss, supplied by the department to the facility, or consistent in content with department-supplied materials, and a list of licensed providers and/or article 28 facilities where infant hearing screening may be obtained;

(3) the parent shall receive a prescription for an outpatient screening by a provider licensed under the State Education Law and authorized under such law to perform infant hearing screening, or by an article 28 facility. Such prescription shall state that results shall be returned to the facility;

(4) The parent shall be informed that if results of a follow-up outpatient screening are not returned to the facility within sixty days, the infant will be referred as an at-risk child to the early intervention official in their county of residence for follow-up purposes unless the parent(s) object to such a referral, in accordance with section 69-4.3 of this Part.

(5) the referral, including issuance of a prescription, shall be documented in the infant's record and discharge summary to facilitate follow-up by the infant's primary health care provider;

(6) the infant(s) primary health care provider, when such provider is known, shall be notified of the inpatient results and need for a follow-up outpatient screening; and

(7) If results of a follow-up outpatient screening are not returned to the facility within sixty days, the infant shall be referred as an at-risk child to the early intervention official in his/her county of residence for follow-up purposes, in accordance with section 69-4.3 of this part, unless the parent has objected to such a referral. The parent's objection to a follow-up screening must be entered into EHDI-IS or any successor system.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 10 §§ 69-8.4

Amended New York State Register November 13, 2019/Volume XLI, Issue 46, eff. 11/13/2019

Amended New York State Register April 17, 2024/Volume XLIV, Issue 16, eff. 4/17/2024