South Dakota Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program: Using Teleaudiology to Conduct Infant Diagnostic Assessments

Teleaudiology allows patients and providers to bypass several economic and geographic barriers that impede the delivery and accessibility of audiological services. The South Dakota Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program recognized this benefit and created a teleaudiology infrastructure for the diagnostic assessment of infants. Using a hub-and-spoke model, a certified pediatric audiologist at the hub site assesses infants located at two spoke sites in South Dakota. Remote control software applications are used to provide a synchronous method of service delivery. The audiologist’s test battery includes video otoscopy, tympanometry, and auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing. Since establishing the teleaudiology program, nine infant assessments have been completed. The South Dakota EHDI program will continue improving the teleaudiology project to ensure all infants in the state have access to pediatric audiological services