Epidemiologic Trends of Congenital Hearing Loss Diagnosis and Intervention in Hawaiʻi from 2017-2022

This study aimed to analyze recent epidemiologic trends in congenital hearing loss among newborns in Hawai'i, with a focus on screening, diagnosis, and enrollment in Early Intervention Services (EIS).The authors conducted a retrospective epidemiologic study using de-identified, aggregated data from the Hawai'i Department of Health's Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) Program, encompassing all birthing facilities statewide from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022.All newborns during the study period were included.Variables analyzed included annual birth counts, screening completion rates, failed screening rates, confirmed diagnoses of hearing loss, and EIS enrollment.Trend analyses were performed to assess changes over time, with statistical significance set at α =.05.Screening rates remained consistently high (>97%) throughout the study period.The incidence of diagnosed hearing loss increased from 3.5 to 5.1 per 1000 live births (P=.034).Enrollment in EIS declined from 61% in 2017 to 39% in 2022 (P=.019), with a corresponding 22 percentage-point increase in loss to follow-up.Despite high compliance with newborn hearing screening in Hawai'i, gaps in follow-up and intervention persist.These findings highlight the need for system-level strategies to improve care coordination and ensure timely access to early intervention services.