Documented Newborn Hearing Screenings in Florida Administrative Hospital Data: State Policy Compliance by Hospital Types

Purpose: Florida policy mandates newborn hearing screenings (NBHS) in hospitals. U.S. inpatient administrative hospital data reflects low rates of documented screenings. This analysis investigates inconsistencies between Florida policy and administrative records. Method: Analysis of Florida statutory language was completed. Florida hospital administrative data was retrospectively analyzed using various statistical methods to explore differences in proportions of documented NBHS among distinct hospital types based on profit and teaching statuses. Results: Florida mandate requires NBHS completion in the hospital prior to discharge from the birth facility or within 21 days after birth and allows for billing a third-party payer. The median proportions of screenings in Florida hospitals were as follows: not-for-profit teaching hospitals 0.35 (σ: 0.00-0.83), for-profit teaching hospitals 0.00 (σ: 0.00-0.07), not-for-profit non-teaching hospitals 0.08 (σ: 0.00-0.36), and for-profit non-teaching hospitals 0.05 (σ: 0.00-0.27). Hospital types exhibit significantly different proportions of documented NBHS (χ2 = 194,321.85, p