Newborn Screening
- Newborn Screening Home
- Program Information
- Information for Families
- Information for Providers
- Materials and Resources
- Newborn Screening Data
- Contact Information
Related Topics
Contact Info
Communicating Hearing Screening Results
In accordance with Minnesota statute, all newborn hearing screening results and follow-up arrangements should be conveyed by hospitals to the newborn’s parents, the infant’s primary care provider, and the Newborn Screening Program.
To parents
Share hearing screening results with parents both verbally and in writing immediately after the screen is performed.
If the infant receives a PASS result, give the parent(s) the PASS Result: Hearing Screening Result Notification sheet (pictured) and explain that changes in hearing can occur at any time. Encourage parents to contact their infant’s primary care provider should concerns arise.
If the infant receives a REFER result, give the parent(s) the REFER Result: Hearing Screening Result Notification sheet and discuss a plan for follow-up. Assist parents in scheduling the necessary appointments as soon as possible and encourage them to discuss hearing results with their infant's primary care provider.
Result notification sheets are available to order free of charge on the Educational Materials and Forms About Newborn Screening page.
To the Newborn Screening Program and primary care providers
As of January 2017, all hospital submitters complete secure electronic submission of newborn hearing screen results to the Newborn Screening Program directly from their hearing screening devices. Through MNScreen, all inpatient results, regardless of outcome, and any outpatient rescreening results completed by the nursery unit will be transmitted to the Newborn Screening Program.
Previously, hearing screening results could be reported in a section of the newborn screening card used for blood spot collection. This section is no longer available for reporting hearing screening results. Midwives who provide newborn hearing screening were transitioned to electronic submission of results during 2017.
Minnesota law also requires that the infant's primary care provider be sent final results from the inpatient newborn hearing screen, regardless of test outcome, as well as any outpatient rescreening results completed by the nursery unit.
For all infants with REFER results requiring further testing, please notify the program and the primary care provider of when and where follow-up testing will take place. Hearing screening results and follow-up plans should be communicated to the primary care clinic within 10 days of screening.
Contact the Newborn Screening Program with any questions.