Table 4 Reporting checklist

Configuration of hearing loss

1

Identify the target of the screening as unilateral or bilateral.

Severity scale

2

Provide the scale used to classify the degree of hearing loss (e.g., normal, mild, moderate, and severe)

Threshold dB for hearing loss

3

Provide the dB hearing loss threshold and rationale for that choice

Criteria used for assessing audiological risks

4

Specify the criteria used to define higher audiological risks (e.g., the JCIH 2007, admission to NICU, or other criteria)

Protocol for NICUneonates

5

Specify protocol used to screen NICU neonates admitted for more than 5 days (JCIH recommends automatic auditory brainstem response -- aABR)

Protocol for otherneonates

6

Specify protocol used to screen all the other categories of neonates

Testing environment conditions

7

Describe the environment in which the test is performed (e.g., NICU, quiet room, mother’s bed)

Definitive audiological evaluation tests

8

Describe the tests used to perform the definitive audiological examination as the gold standard for diagnosing hearing loss in neonates who have positive screening tests

Actions for missed and lost to follow up

9

Describe the actions performed to re-contact newborns who were missed or lost to follow-up during one or more screening exam steps

Developmental surveillance and monitoring

10a

Describe any continued hearing surveillance to detect hearing loss in all children less than 30 months old and all methods used to detect missed cases of hearing loss during neonatal screening, e.g., due to late onset of hearing loss or false-negative test results during screening tests

10b

Describe additional methods (beyond those in 10a) used to identify hearing loss that was undetected (i.e., false negatives) during neonatal screening, (e.g., information from services providing hearing aids)

10c

Describe subsequent developmental monitoring for special populations of children with hearing loss, including those with minimal and mild bilateral hearing loss, unilateral hearing loss, and neural hearing loss

Communication

11

Describe all methods used to inform parents about hearing loss screening and results before, during and after the screening

Health personnel

12

Specify the health personnel performing the screening and their role in each exam (e.g., physicians for programme coordination and communication with parents, nurses for newborn wellness screening and data management, audiologist for hearing examination)

Recruitment

13

Percentage of newborns who complete screening by 1 month of age

Numerator: Number of neonates that have a hearing screening test by 1 month of age

Denominator: Number of neonates

Adherence

14

Follow-up rate

Numerator: Number of neonates positive at the first screening test minus neonates who do not complete further testing (lost to follow-up)

Denominator: Number of neonates positive at the first screening test

Timely definitive audiological evaluation

15

Percentage of newborns with definitive audiological evaluation by 3 months of age

Numerator: Number of neonates undergoing definitive audiological evaluation by 3 months of age

Denominator: Number of neonates undergoing a definitive audiological evaluation

High-risk measured prevalence

16

Observed prevalence in high-risk population

Numerator: Number of screened neonates with audiological risk factors identified with hearing loss after definitive audiological evaluation

Denominator: Number of screened neonates with audiological risk factors (at net of the lost to follow-up)

Low-risk measured prevalence

17

Observed prevalence in low-risk population

Numerator: Number of screened neonates without any audiological risk factor identified with hearing loss after definitive audiological evaluation

Denominator: Number of screened neonates without any audiological risk factor (at net of those lost to follow-up)

Overall measured prevalence

18

Observed prevalence for whole population

Numerator: Number of screened neonates (with and without audiological risk factors) identified with hearing loss after definitive audiological evaluation

Denominator: Number of screened neonates with or without audiological risk factors (at net of those lost to follow-up)

Referral rate at discharge

19

Referral rate before leaving the hospital

Numerator: Number of screened neonates with a positive test at the last screening test prior to hospital discharge

Denominator: Number of screened neonates

Referral rate for definitive audiological Testing after screening

20

Percentage of all newborn infants who fail initial screening and fail all subsequent re-screening before comprehensive audiological evaluation

Numerator: Number of children completing definitive audiological evaluation

Denominator: Number of screened neonates (at net of the lost to follow-up)

False-positive rate

21

False-positive rate related to the entire screening process

Numerator: Number of neonates who have a negative definitive audiological evaluation (false-positive screening tests)

Denominator: Number of screened neonates without disease (false positives plus true negatives or equivalently, number of screened neonates minus the number of neonates found to truly have hearing loss after definitive audiological evaluation and minus the number of neonates with hearing loss found negative at the screening) at net of those lost to follow-up