Analyzing and interpreting hearing screening information – Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3701.509

Each hospital and freestanding birth center that has conducted a hearing screening on a newborn must provide the following information to the department of health: 

• The number of children born in the facility and the number of newborns not screened because they were transferred to another hospital;
• The number of newborns referred to the facility for a hearing screening and the number of those newborns who received a hearing screening; and
• The number of newborns who did not pass the hearing screenings conducted by the hospital or freestanding birthing center.

The medically handicapped children’s medical advisory council’s infant hearing screening subcommittee will compile and summarize the information submitted to the department, and will annually prepare a report for the director of health and both houses of the Ohio legislature, which will also be made available to the public. 

The department and all members of the subcommittee will maintain the confidentiality of patient-identifying information, which is not a public record except to the extent that the information is used in preparing the required reports.  The department may provide patient-identifying information to other entities as is necessary to implement the statewide tracking and early intervention program; any entity that receives such information must maintain its confidentiality.