Section 3701.509 | Analyzing and interpreting hearing screening information.
(A) The department of health shall develop a mechanism to analyze and interpret the hearing screening information to be reported under division (B) of this section. The department shall notify all hospitals and freestanding birthing centers subject to the reporting requirements of the date the department anticipates that the mechanism will be complete. After the mechanism is complete, the department shall notify each hospital and freestanding birthing center subject to the reporting requirement of the date by which the hospital or center must submit its first report.
(B) Subject to division (A) of this section and in accordance with rules adopted by the director of health under section 3701.508 of the Revised Code, each hospital and freestanding birthing center that has conducted a hearing screening required by section 3701.505 of the Revised Code shall provide to the department of health for use by the children and youth with special health care needs medical advisory council's infant hearing screening subcommittee information specifying all of the following:
(1) The number of newborns born in the hospital or freestanding birthing center and the number of newborns and infants not screened because they were transferred to another hospital;
(2) The number of newborns and infants referred to the hospital or freestanding birthing center for a hearing screening and the number of those newborns and infants who received a hearing screening;
(3) The number of newborns and infants who did not pass the hearing screenings conducted by the hospital or freestanding birthing center;
(4) Any other information concerning the program established under section 3701.504 of the Revised Code.
(C) The department of health shall conduct a timely review of the information submitted by hospitals and freestanding birthing centers in accordance with rules adopted by the director under section 3701.508 of the Revised Code.
(D) The infant hearing screening subcommittee, with the support of the department of health, shall compile and summarize the information submitted to the department by hospitals and freestanding birthing centers under division (B) of this section. Beginning with the first year after the mechanism developed under division (A) of this section is complete, the subcommittee shall annually prepare and transmit a report to the director of health, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate. The council shall make the report available to the public.
(E) The department and all members of the subcommittee shall maintain the confidentiality of patient-identifying information submitted under division (B) of this section and section 3701.505 of the Revised Code. The information is not a public record under section 149.43 of the Revised Code, except to the extent that the information is used in preparing reports under this section.
Nothing in this division prohibits the department from providing patient-identifying information to other entities as it considers necessary to implement the statewide tracking and early intervention components of the program established under section 3701.504 of the Revised Code. Any entity that receives patient-identifying information from the department shall maintain the confidentiality of the information.
Last updated September 20, 2023 at 12:09 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- September 10, 2012 – House Bill 487 - 129th General Assembly [ View September 10, 2012 Version ]
- October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 3, 2023 Version ]