OZ Systems helps TEHDI program to provide latest newborn hearing screening equipment for midwives

Mar 2 2011

OZ Systems today announced that it is helping the Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (TEHDI) Program facilitate an initiative that will provide the latest newborn hearing screening equipment to midwives across the state.

The program includes funding grants to qualified applicants so they can purchase and install updated hearing screening technology. Under the initiative, OZ Systems also is providing midwives additional education about the importance of hearing screening, as well as training on how to collect screening data and submit it to the state's Web-based health information management system that is powered by OZ System's eScreener™ Plus (eSP™) solution.

On average, there are more than 400,000 babies born in Texas each year, and three out of every 1,000 will experience permanent hearing loss to some degree. That figure doubles to six out of every 1,000 by the time children reach school age. And of those who do not pass the hearing screen, approximately 50 percent don't receive the needed follow-up and intervention—potentially leading to negative developmental and educational outcomes.

"Midwives may provide more personalized care and experiences than other healthcare institutions, but they often lack the high-quality hearing screening equipment that larger hospitals and health systems can deploy. This initiative with TEHDI helps level the technology playing field for participating midwives, and ultimately benefits all newborns in the state," said Karen Ditty, an audiologist and technical advisor at OZ Systems. "Because of their more personal relationships with patients, midwives offer a dynamic environment to ensure that the necessary screening and follow up takes place. Those traits, combined with the updated screening technology, will result in more positive outcomes for newborns with hearing loss."

OZ System's eSP™ solution is the world's most widely-used and proven newborn screening data solution. The Web-based hearing and metabolic screening system provides enhanced information management and communications capabilities for public health organizations, hospitals, practitioners and educators. Since 2000, eSP™ has helped protect the health of more than 8 million newborns.