Análise da implementação de inovação no fluxo da triagem neonatal fonoaudiológica

Abstract

Neonatal screening is performed to prevent possible health problems in the baby, favoring early treatments that will reduce or eliminate factors that may impair the child’s typical development. Among the tests performed by the audiologist and the speech therapist are the hearing and the tongue screenings, in which are evaluated the auditory and tongue movement conditions, respectively. Of these five screenings, the ear and tongue tests are performed by the audiologist and the speech therapist. Despite being assured by law, both are not always performed and, when they are, they do not always obey a flow that optimizes the resources and monitors the findings, in order to follow the health conditions of the baby. In terms of public health, coverage failures and information management of the neonatal screening carried out have permanent negative impacts for the entire population, with consequences in the economic and development spheres of the country. So, the aims of this study were implementing and analyzing the adoption of changes in the work process related to the flow of auditory and tongue screenings performed at a maternity hospital of the Ebserh. By reorganizing the scheduling for screening, changing the location of the examinations and organizing a database, it was possible to obtain benefits in terms of coverage and financial return for the institution, as well as better information management of the triaged babies. It was verified, therefore, that the implementation of the innovation in the process of neonatal hearing and tongue screenings brought effective improvements to the service offered to this population. The main limitation of the study was its local character. Therefore, studies are recommended in maternity hospitals in other regions of the country, considering their dimensions and different characteristics. Future enhancements, such as a scheduling and management information system are under study.