Health Care System Factors for Newborn Heelstick Screening

Health Care System Factors

Screening is a system-level intervention overseen in Utah by the UDOH Division of Disease Control and Prevention. All parts contribute to the outcome of the affected newborn. The hospital or place of birth begins the process by initiation of screening at time of birth. Timing of specimen collection and delivery to the State Laboratory is essential to rapid turn-around of testing. This rapid testing allows the follow-up program to identify the newborn and family and initiate the necessary confirmatory testing and referral for treatment before problems begin. The child's primary care provider (also known as the child's Medical Home) ensures follow-through and treatment (if necessary) throughout the lifetime. Specialty multidisciplinary clinics, which may include pediatric geneticists and genetic counselors, complement the child's Medical Home in providing specialized services and care for the family and newborn. All components help in the education of the family and newborn.