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Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program

News and updates

  • Updates

    The Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program started screening in Victoria in 2005. The program now operates in 76 hospitals in Victoria and achieved statewide coverage in 2012.

    Contact details for participating VIHSP hospitals (metropolitan and rural).

    Screening data for children born in the 2015 to 2017 (calendar years)

    Raw Data - Screening


    Eligible The number of babies who are eligible for screening.237,352
    ScreenedThe number of babies who completed their screen.236,162
    Screen referThe number of babies who did not pass their VIHSP screen and have been referred for diagnostic assessment.2,000

    Key Performance Indicators

    ParticipationThe number of Screened babies as a proportion of the total number of Eligible babies.99.5%
    Direct ReferThe number of babies who were referred to audiology due to a clinical risk indicator as a proportion of the total number of Eligible babies.0.08%
    Screened within one month corrected ageThe number of babies who completed their screen within one month corrected age as a proportion of the total number of Eligible babies.98.9%
    Refer rateThe number of babies who obtained a positive result on the newborn hearing screen as a proportion of the total number of Screened babies.0.85%

    Diagnosis

    Of those referred to audiology following a positive result on the newborn hearing screen for whom audiology assessment results were returned (1,974), results were as follows:

    Normal hearing 57.4%
    Any hearing loss 42.6%

    • 23.6% had permanent, bilateral hearing loss of moderate or greater degree (the “target” condition being screened for)
    • 12.4% had permanent, bilateral mild hearing loss
    • 22% had permanent unilateral hearing loss of any degree
    • 30% had temporary hearing loss
    • 12% had other types of hearing loss