Code of Colorado Regulations
1000 - Department of Public Health and Environment
1006 - Center for Health and Environmental Data (1006, 1009 Series)
6 CCR 1009-6 - NEWBORN HEARING SCREENING
Section 1 - AUTHORITY AND DEFINITIONS

1.1 These rules and regulations are established under the authority § 25-4-1004.7, C.R.S.

1.2 Definitions

The following terms, whenever used in or referred to in these regulations, shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

"Attending a birth" means delivery of a newborn and postpartum medical services provided to the newborn until the date of discharge, or for births occurring outside a birthing facility, until the health professional's services have concluded.

"Audiological intervention" means any management of hearing loss performed by an audiologist, including but not limited to fitting for any amplification device designed to compensate for hearing loss, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants, as well as auditory training to aid in recognition of speech sounds once an amplification device is in place.

"Audiologist" means a person licensed pursuant to Article 210 of Title 12, of the Colorado

Revised Statutes, who has specialized training in hearing testing and intervention for newborns. These professionals may perform initial hearing screens or rescreens on newborns, but their role is primarily focused on audiological evaluation, diagnosis and audiological intervention for newborns with suspected or confirmed hearing loss. Audiologists may establish standards of care and provide consultation and supervision for hearing screening programs in birthing facilities.

"Auditory Brainstem Response" means a hearing test in which electrodes are placed strategically on the baby's head and record brain wave activity in response to sounds heard through an earphone.

"Birthing Facility" means a general hospital or birthing center licensed or certified pursuant to § 25-1.5-103, C.R.S.

"Department" means the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

"Early Intervention" for purposes of this rule, means the services, education and support to children who are deemed to have a hearing loss, or who are evaluated and deemed to have a diagnosed physical or mental condition with a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay.

"Failed Screen" means any result from a completed hearing screening test or a rescreening test that is not "pass."

"Follow-up services" for purposes of the newborn hearing screening program means, 1) identification of newborns at risk for hearing loss through the screening process; 2) coordination among medical and audiology providers, and families (the newborn's parent(s) or legal guardian(s)); 3) providing information and timely referral for audiological evaluation; 4) providing information and timely referral for early intervention services; 5) confirming the connection to early intervention services; and; 6) monitoring screening for a missed screen, rescreening, and audiological evaluation and early intervention connection. Follow-up services facilitate rapid connection of newborns to early intervention, but are not intended to serve as clinical case management services. Follow-up services does not include the delivery of early intervention services except as described in Section 4.

"Health professional" means a physician, nurse, midwife, or other health professional attending the birth. The definition of health professional also includes other health professionals providing medical services to the newborn prior to discharge, including professionals that perform newborn hearing screening, serve as newborn hearing hospital coordinators, connect infants to hearing evaluation and early intervention resources, perform or report the date of the first CO-Hear's Home Visit, and develop or report the date of initial Individualized Family Services Plan.

"Hearing rescreen" means a hearing screening performed on a newborn who received a failed screen result for an initial hearing screen.

"Initial hearing screen" means an otoacoustic emissions or auditory brainstem response screen performed on a newborn who has not previously received a screen.

"Missed Screen" means that the newborn missed receiving their initial hearing screen, and an initial hearing screen is pending.

"Named Submitter" means the entity or individual who submits initial hearing screen or hearing rescreen reports to the Department electronically. This can include, but is not limited to hospitals, birthing facilities, audiologists, health professionals or providers trained to perform a newborn hearing screening.

"Newborn" means an infant between 0 and 1 year of life.

"Otoacoustic Emissions" means a hearing test in which a small earphone emits sounds into the ear and measures the sounds that are produced by the vibration of hair cells in the inner ear in response to that sound.

"Passed Screen" means that the newborn passed a hearing screening and no further testing is currently required for purposes of the newborn hearing screening program.