Caring for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children After a New Diagnosis: An Overview for the Medical Home

Arielle Spellun, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Director of Health and Wellness, BU Deaf Center

Jane Stewart, MD

Medical Director, NICU Growth and Development Support Program
Attending Physician, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital

The Caring for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children After a New Diagnosis: An Overview for the Medical Home course is designed to provide information to practitioners who care for pediatric patients with hearing differences in a primary care setting. The course content covers the physiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of childhood hearing differences with an emphasis on providing clinicians with a broad, culturally aware, evidence based and developmentally appropriate framework for caring for this unique population. 

This publication was made possible by Grant Number H61MC00002-21-01 from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The contents are solely the responsibilities of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

This content was created by OPENPediatrics, a peer-reviewed medical education platform for healthcare professionals. Please see www.openpediatrics.org for more information.

Resources for Providers and Families

Learning Objectives: 

At the conclusion of this educational program, learners will be able to:

1. Appreciate the diversity of experiences of individuals with hearing differences
2. Review the physiology and epidemiology of childhood hearing differences
3. Outline the process for hearing screening and diagnosis
4. Review initial management after a new diagnosis of a hearing difference
5. Understand the importance of language access for development
6. Review interventions aimed at restoring language access including early intervention, sign languages, hearing aids, and cochlear implants
7. Describe the role of the medical home in facilitating care for deaf and hard of hearing children and their families

In support of improving patient care, Boston Children’s Hospital is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

Boston Children’s Hospital designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.

Nurse

Boston Children’s Hospital designates this activity for 1.0 contact hours for nurses. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistant

Boston Children’s Hospital has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credits for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Disclosures

Boston Children’s Hospital adheres to all ACCME Essential Areas, Standards, and Policies. It is Boston Children’s policy that those who have influenced the content of a CME activity (e.g. planners, faculty, authors, reviewers and others) disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial entities so that Boston Children’s may identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. These disclosures will be provided in the activity materials along with disclosure of any commercial support received for the activity. Additionally, faculty members have been instructed to disclose any limitations of data and unlabeled or investigational uses of products during their presentations.

The following planners, speakers, and content reviewers, on behalf of themselves, have reported the following relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on patients: 

Please see the FAQs below for common questions about how to work through a course. If you have a question or issue that is not addressed in the FAQ, please use this form to submit a help request, or if your issue is urgent, call the CME office at: 617-919-9908.

How do navigate this course?

How do I navigate this course?

There are two ways to access and navigate course content with the interactive table of contents: at the bottom of the main course page or in the sidebar on the right side of the page. Select the links in the table of contents to access the corresponding content. Depending on the course, access to content may be linear, in which case each content module or section can only be accessed if the prior ones are completed, or non-linear, in which case modules and sections can be accessed in any order. Use the breadcrumbs at the top of any course page to orient yourself within a course, or return to a previous course section or the main course page.

How do I claim credit for this course?

How do I claim credit?

If the course has been accredited, available credits will be displayed on the course home page. Select only those credits that apply to your profession, and click/tap “Apply Selection.” You may make your selection at any point while you are taking the course, or after you have completed it.

How do I download a certificate?

How do I download a certificate?

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How do I view/print my transcript?

How do I view/print my transcript?

You must be logged in to view your transcript. Select My Profile at the top of the page. If you do not see the transcript selector, be sure the Courses tab is selected. Select the type of credit and dates to include in your credit report. To include all credits from all time, leave the options blank. Select Download Transcript to view/download your transcript. Note each credit type in your transcripts starts a new page.

How do I request a refund?

How do I request a refund?

Please email the CME Department to request a refund.