R398-2-2. Definitions

  (1) "Audiologist" means a person who is licensed by the state where services are provided and has expertise in infant and pediatric audiology.

  (2) "Auditory brainstem response" means an objective electrophysiologic measurement of the brainstem's response to acoustic stimulation of the ear.

  (3) "Automated auditory brainstem response" means objective electrophysiologic measurement of the brainstem's response to acoustic stimulation of the ear, obtained with equipment which automatically provides a pass/refer outcome.

  (4) "Deaf or Hard of Hearing" means a dysfunction of the auditory system of any type or degree that is sufficient to interfere with the acquisition and development of speech and language skills.

  (5) "Department" means the Utah Department of Health, Newborn Hearing Screening: Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program.

  (6) "Diagnostic procedures" means audiometric and medical procedures required to diagnose an infant as deaf or hard of hearing.

  (7) "Early intervention" means auditory habilitation and/or enrollment into a formal early intervention program.

  (8) "Evoked otoacoustic emissions" means an objective test method which elicits a physiologic response from the cochlea, and may include Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions and Distortion Products Otoacoustic Emissions test procedures.

  (9) "Follow-up" means appropriate services and procedures relating to the confirmation of hearing status and appropriate referrals for infants with abnormal or inconclusive screening or diagnostic results.

  (10) "Institution" means a facility licensed by the State of Utah for birthing babies.

  (11) "Lost to follow-up" means infants who cannot be identified through tracking, and who have not completed the screening, diagnostic or early intervention referral processes.

  (12) "Newborn Hearing Screening" means the completion of an objective, physiological test or battery of tests administered to determine the infant's hearing status and the need for further diagnostic testing by an audiologist with expertise in infant and pediatric audiology or physician with the Department approved instrumentation, protocols and pass/refer criteria.

  (13) "Parent" means a natural biological parent, a step-parent, adoptive parent, legal guardian, or other legal custodian of a child.

  (14) "Primary care provider" means the infant's primary medical caregiver.

  (15) "Referral" means to direct an infant to an audiologist or physician for appropriate diagnostic procedures to diagnose and determine hearing status and for appropriate early intervention.

  (16) "Tracking" means the use of information about the infant's newborn hearing screening status to ensure the infant receives timely and appropriate services to complete the screening, diagnostic and early intervention referral processes.