The Danish model for screening babies in Copenhagen Hospital Corporation (H:S) and Frederiksborg has proved to be highly successful. Statistical data from the first 11 months of the pilot project in the H:S region speak for themselves:
- total of 6493 babies*
- coverage of 98.5% (the target was 80% for the first year)
- 100 referrals for re-screening at Bispebjerg Hospital – or 1.5%
- of 6,296 well babies screened 75 were referred (1.2%)
- 31 of these 75 referrrals were redirected for diagnostic follow-up
- 25 of the 197 high-risk and NICU babies screened were referred to re-screening (12.2%)
- 12 of these 25 referrals were redirected for diagnostic follow-up
- only 6 referrals did not show up for re-screening
- so far, seven babies with bilateral hearing loss diagnosed at follow-up
- four babies with unilateral hearing loss diagnosed at follow-up
At Hilleroed Hospital, the data for 2005 are similarly impressive:
- a total of 3448 babies were screened representing 99% of those born in Frederiksborg county
- of the 3260 well babies screened, there were 94 referrals (2.8%)
- 12 of these 94 referrals were redirected to diagnostic follow-up
- 35 of the 188 high-risk and NICU babies screened were referred to re-screening (18.6%)
- 16 of these 35 referrals were redirected to diagnostic follow-up
- so far, four babies with bilateral hearing loss diagnosed at follow-up
- one baby with unilateral hearing loss diagnosed at follow-up
We can conclude that the Danish recipe for success is based on the following factors:
- careful planning prior to implementation
- association with a pre-existent model for infant screening model (PKU), which allows for first screen between 4 and 10 days after birth
- heavy emphasis on thorough training (including hands-on with real babies)
- screening performed by enthusiastic healthcare personnel without any audiological background
- excellent parent information
- effective cooperation between front-line screening staff (primarily biomedical analysts, but also some midwives and nurses) and audiological departments
- reliable, fast and easy to use equipment
- effective data collection
*The number of babies screened at the University Hospital of Copenhagen was unfortunately not public when this case story was written.