Hauora Tairāwhiti is the first DHB in the country to use a Newborn Hearing Information Management System (NHIMS). The new system allows a technician to test a newborn baby's hearing with a Beraphone device, which then sends results to a computer file that is imported into the NHIMS. This new process is much faster and reduces the risk of error, because it no longer relies on technicians to transcribe results.
The project was led by Maternity Project Coordinator Judi Murphy who is providing training and ongoing support throughout the implementation. The team will now have significant input into future enhancements before and after going live around the country. Stephanie Temple (newborn screener) commented "Maternity screening is very important, it allows us to pick up any hearing problems as soon as possible. By screening newborns, we can identify any issues before they start affecting the child's language development."
This isn't the first time Gisborne Hospital has lead the way with newborn screening. Back in 1997 we were the first DHB to begin screening newborns, prior to it being rolled out nationally in 2008.