Barriers to Timely Infant Hearing Loss Diagnosis Utilizing Auditory Brainstem Response

Given health system limitations, access to timely Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing in infants is often challenging. The purpose of this study is to identify common barriers that may affect the number of ABRs needed to establish a definitive diagnosis of hearing loss in infants.

Audiologists and clinic administrators in under-resourced health systems should review their referral-to-ABR workflows and actively address identified barriers — such as appointment availability, geographic access, and caregiver navigation support — to reduce diagnostic delays for infants.

Timely ABR diagnosis is critical for early intervention in infant hearing loss, and identifying systemic barriers gives clinics and health systems concrete targets to improve newborn hearing screening follow-up rates.

1. 01Study identifies common system-level barriers preventing timely ABR follow-up after failed newborn hearing screens.
2. 02Published in Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, a high-impact peer-reviewed journal.
3. 03Access limitations within health systems are a primary driver of diagnostic delays.
4. 04Early diagnosis of infant hearing loss is essential for speech and language development outcomes.
5. 05Findings may inform quality improvement initiatives in newborn hearing screening programs.

PMID

42475156

DOI

10.1002/ohn.70342.

Journal

Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Infants who did not pass newborn hearing screening and required diagnostic ABR follow-up, within health systems with access limitations

Intervention

Identification and analysis of barriers to timely Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing