Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3701 - Department of Health - Administration and Director
Chapter 3701-40 - Hearing Evaluations
Section 3701-40-06 - Hearing screening and equipment requirements for hospitals

(A) Each hospital shall designate a hearing screening coordinator who is responsible for the coordination of the facility's hearing screening program. The coordinator shall be an individual with staff privileges at the facility and either:

(B) Each hospital required to conduct a hearing screening on a newborn or infant shall, before discharge, conduct a hearing screening on each ear of every newborn or infant born in, admitted to or transferred into a hospital, through the use of a physiological test.

(C) The hospital shall conduct a second screening on a newborn or infant, if the first screening in either ear was a non pass. The screening shall include:

(D) The second screening shall:

(E) The hospital shall conduct a maximum of two hearing screenings prior to discharge unless there is clearly an equipment error or an error in administering the screening. Additional screening is only acceptable if medically necessary. Only two complete hearing screenings shall be reported to the director.

(F) The equipment used for screening shall be capable of giving reliable results, maintained in good working order, and calibrated annually per manufacturer's guidelines.

(G) The hospital shall communicate the results of the hearing screening for every newborn or infant to the attending physician, certified nurse-midwife, certified nurse practitioner, primary care physician, or designated medical home to include:

(H) The hospital shall report the following categories of newborns and infants to the attending physician, certified nurse midwife, certified nurse practitioner, primary care physician, or designated medical home within forty-eight hours of discharge for:

(I) The hospital shall provide the parent, guardian, or custodian of every newborn with printed information provided by the department as outlined in paragraph (D) of rule 3701-40-10 of the Administrative Code.

(J) The hospital shall communicate verbal and written results of the newborn or infant's hearing screening to the parent, guardian, or custodian prior to discharge to include:

(K) The hospital shall provide the parent, guardian or custodian of a newborn or infant that did not pass the hearing screening with the following prior to discharge:

(L) The hospital shall notify the director of the name and contact information of the individual designated as the hearing screening coordinator, the supervising physician or audiologist, the birth clerk, and the hearing clerk on an annual basis and whenever changes occur.

(M) The hospital shall report the following categories of newborns and infants to the director, in the manner and format prescribed, within seventy-two hours of initial screening, discharge, or transfer:

(N) The hospital shall report the following categories of newborns and infants to the director, in the manner and format prescribed, within ten days of initial screening, discharge, or transfer:

(O) The hospital shall report to the director, for each newborn and infant, the name and address of the primary care physician, the certified nurse-midwife, certified nurse practitioner, or medical home where the parent will take the newborn or infant for care after discharge.

(P) Each hospital shall develop a written protocol following the recommendations of the joint committee on infant hearing for these criteria: