At this year’s conference we are reflecting on ’20 years of newborn hearing screening: Looking back and building the future’.
In the 25 years since the first newborn hearing screening (NHS) services were established in areas across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), each jurisdiction has established services that ensure international best practice in newborn hearing screening service delivery.
This presentation will begin with a review of the timeline of significant events in newborn hearing screening in ANZ, including the timeline of establishment of services, and barriers and enablers to implementation for each jurisdiction.
This presentation will then follow on with a description and NHS services across ANZ. The jurisdictions will be described in terms of both areas of commonality and points of difference in the following domains:
– target condition (definition of condition that is being screened for)
– screening technologies and protocols (including changes over time)
– targeted surveillance (risk factor follow up)
– staff (including structure, training, credentialling, factors affecting the workforce)
– audiology services
– paediatric services for children with hearing loss
– early intervention and habilitation for children with hearing loss
– key performance indicators and benchmarking against local, national and international frameworks and guidelines
– significant achievements and celebrations, and
– collaborations/partnerships including research and development.
Finally, there will be a discussion of future opportunities, plans and aspirations for newborn hearing screening locally, nationally and internationally.
Biography:
ANZ newborn hearing screening managers:
- Amarjit Anand, NT Health
- Bianca Liersch, Women’s and Children’s Health Network SA
- Jasmine Plimmer, Te Whatu Ora – Health NZ
- Jennifer Bursell, Canberra Health Services
- Kellie Lumsden, Te Whatu Ora – Health NZ
- Kristy Tomlinson, Perth Children’s Hospital WA
- Lara Shur, Earbus Foundation of WA
- Lauren McHugh, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service QLD
- Melinda Barker, Royal Children’s Hospital VIC
- Michelle Chacksfield, Tasmanian Health Service
- Rachael Beswick, Queensland Health
- Stephanie Blows, NSW Ministry of Health
- Zeffie Poulakis, Royal Children’s Hospital VIC