Is Newborn Hearing Screening Cost Effective? Economic Consideration for Policy Makers

Overview

Journal Int J Prev Med

Date 2022 Jan 24

PMID 35070188

Authors

Fatemeh Jafarlou

Behzad Najafi

Seyed Jalal Sameni

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Backgroud: Hearing loss is the most common congenital disorder that appears as a unilateral or bilateral deafness. Early detection by screening and appropriate intervention lead to better oral communication and language development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost per new case identification of neonate hearing screening.

Methods: The cost effectiveness of two stage hospital based newborn hearing loss screening was evaluated in this study. We gathered data for 11168 newborns born in 10 hospitals. We included a direct cost and new case identification as cost and outcome measures from health system prospective in our model.

Results: We found 19 new cases with hearing loss from 11168 screened neonates (1.7 per 1000). The referral rates in the first and second stages were respectively 28% and 7%. The total cost of screening program was 132167 US$. The main cost item is screening test (OAE).

Conclusions: We concluded cost per new case detection is 6956 US$ in Iranian neonate hearing screening program. Almost, it is equal to GDP per capita and it may be cost effective. Since there are many strategies to screening of newborn, it is suggested that all alternative screening strategies be analyzed by a cost effectiveness method to find the best strategy for hearing loss screening.

Citing Articles

The Association Between Mitochondrial tRNA Variants and Hearing Loss: A Case-Control Study.

Yu X, Li S, Guo Q, Leng J, Ding Y Pharmgenomics Pers Med. 2024; 17:77-89.

PMID: 38562431 PMC: 10984097. DOI: 10.2147/PGPM.S441281.

References

Grill E, Uus K, Hessel F, Davies L, Taylor R, Wasem J . Neonatal hearing screening: modelling cost and effectiveness of hospital- and community-based screening. BMC Health Serv Res. 2006; 6:14. PMC: 1402282. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-6-14. View

Mehl A, Thomson V . Newborn hearing screening: the great omission. Pediatrics. 1998; 101(1):E4. DOI: 10.1542/peds.101.1.e4. View

Lemons J, Fanaroff A, Stewart E, Bentkover J, Murray G, Diefendorf A . Newborn hearing screening: costs of establishing a program. J Perinatol. 2002; 22(2):120-4. DOI: 10.1038/sj.jp.7210618. View

Olusanya B, Luxon L, Wirz S . Benefits and challenges of newborn hearing screening for developing countries. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2004; 68(3):287-305. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2003.10.015. View

Huynh M, Pollack R, Cunningham R . Universal newborn hearing screening: feasibility in a community hospital. J Fam Pract. 1996; 42(5):487-90. View

Kemper A, Downs S . A cost-effectiveness analysis of newborn hearing screening strategies. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000; 154(5):484-8. DOI: 10.1001/archpedi.154.5.484. View

Rai N, Thakur N . Universal screening of newborns to detect hearing impairment--is it necessary?. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2013; 77(6):1036-41. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.04.006. View

Uus K, Bamford J, Taylor R . An analysis of the costs of implementing the National Newborn Hearing Screening Programme in England. J Med Screen. 2006; 13(1):14-9. DOI: 10.1258/096914106776179764. View

Siegel J, Torrance G, Russell L, Luce B, Weinstein M, Gold M . Guidelines for pharmacoeconomic studies. Recommendations from the panel on cost effectiveness in health and medicine. Panel on cost Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. Pharmacoeconomics. 1997; 11(2):159-68. DOI: 10.2165/00019053-199711020-00005. View

10.

Molini E, Ricci G, Baroni S, Ciorba A, Bellocci A, Simoncelli C . Identifying congenital hearing impairment. Personal experience based on selective hearing screening. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2004; 24(3):109-16. View

11.

Ciorba A, Hatzopoulos S, Busi M, Guerrini P, Petruccelli J, Martini A . The universal newborn hearing screening program at the University Hospital of Ferrara: focus on costs and software solutions. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2008; 72(6):807-16. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2008.02.011. View

12.

Paul A . Early identification of hearing loss and centralized newborn hearing screening facility-the Cochin experience. Indian Pediatr. 2011; 48(5):355-9. DOI: 10.1007/s13312-011-0067-0. View

13.

. Year 2000 position statement: principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, American Academy of Audiology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Speech-Language-Hearing.... Pediatrics. 2000; 106(4):798-817. DOI: 10.1542/peds.106.4.798. View

14.

Maxon A, White K, Behrens T, Vohr B . Referral rates and cost efficiency in a universal newborn hearing screening program using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. J Am Acad Audiol. 1995; 6(4):271-7. View

15.

Weirather Y, Korth N, White K, Downs D . Cost analysis of TEOAE-based universal newborn hearing screening. J Commun Disord. 1997; 30(6):477-92; quiz 492-3. DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9924(97)00031-2. View

16.

Moeller M . Early intervention and language development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Pediatrics. 2000; 106(3):E43. DOI: 10.1542/peds.106.3.e43. View

17.

Cao-Nguyen M, Kos M, Guyot J . Benefits and costs of universal hearing screening programme. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2007; 71(10):1591-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2007.07.008. View

18.

Yoshinaga-Itano C . Benefits of early intervention for children with hearing loss. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 1999; 32(6):1089-102. DOI: 10.1016/s0030-6665(05)70196-1. View

19.

Pisacane A, Auletta G, Toscano F, Errichiello M, Barrier F, Riccardi P . Feasibility and effectiveness of a population-based newborn hearing screening in an economically deprived region of Italy. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2013; 77(3):329-33. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2012.09.019. View

20.

Hessel F, Grill E, Schnell-Inderst P, Siebert U, Kunze S, Nickisch A . Economic evaluation of newborn hearing screening: modelling costs and outcomes. Ger Med Sci. 2009; 1:Doc09. PMC: 2703224. View