Sec. 47.007.  INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, REPORTING, AND TRACKING SYSTEM.  (a)  The department shall provide each birthing facility that provides newborn hearing screening under the state's medical assistance program provided under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, with access to the appropriate information management, reporting, and tracking system for the program.  The information management, reporting, and tracking system must be capable of providing the department with information and data necessary to plan, monitor, and evaluate the program, including the program's screening, follow-up, diagnostic, and intervention components.
(b)  Subject to Section 47.008, a qualified hearing screening provider, hospital, health care provider, physician, audiologist, or intervention specialist shall access the information management, reporting, and tracking system to provide information to the department and may obtain information from the department relating to:
(1)  the results of each hearing screening performed under Section 47.003(a) or 47.0031(a);
(2)  the results of each diagnostic audiological evaluation required under Section 47.0031(b)(2);
(3)  infants who receive follow-up care;
(4)  infants identified with hearing loss;
(5)  infants who are referred for intervention services; and
(6)  case level information necessary to report required statistics to:
(A)  the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau on an annual basis; and
(B)  the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(c)  A birthing facility described by Subsection (a) shall report the resulting information in the format and within the time frame specified by the department.
(d)   A qualified hearing screening provider, audiologist, intervention specialist, educator, or other person who receives a referral from a program under this chapter shall:
(1)  provide the services needed by the newborn or infant or refer the newborn or infant to a person who provides the services needed by the newborn or infant; and
(2)  provide, with the consent of the newborn's or infant's parent, the following information to the department or the department's designee:
(A)  results of follow-up care;
(B)  results of audiologic testing of an infant identified with hearing loss; and
(C)  reports on the initiation of intervention services.
(e)   A qualified hearing screening provider, audiologist, intervention specialist, educator, or other person who provides services to an infant who is diagnosed with hearing loss shall provide, with the consent of the infant's parent, the following information to the department or the department's designee:
(1)  results of follow-up care;
(2)  results of audiologic testing; and
(3)  reports on the initiation of intervention services.
(f)   A hospital that provides services under this chapter shall use the information management, reporting, and tracking system described by this section, access to which has been provided to the hospital by the department, to report, with the consent of the infant's parent, the following information to the department or the department's designee:
(1)  results of all follow-up services for an infant who does not pass the screening described by Section 47.003(a) if the hospital provides the follow-up services; or
(2)  the name of the provider or facility to which the hospital refers an infant who does not pass the screening described by Section 47.003(a) for follow-up services.
(g)  The department shall ensure that the written or electronic consent of a parent is obtained before any information individually identifying the newborn or infant is released through the information management, reporting, and tracking system.
(h)  Subject to Section 47.008, a qualified hearing screening provider, hospital, health care provider, physician, audiologist, or intervention specialist may obtain information from the department relating to:
(1)  the results of each hearing screening performed under Section 47.003(a) or 47.0031(a);
(2)  the results of each diagnostic audiological evaluation required under Section 47.0031(b)(2);
(3)  infants who receive follow-up care;
(4)  infants identified with hearing loss; and
(5)  infants who are referred for intervention services.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1347, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by: 
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 601 (S.B. 229), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1273 (H.B. 411), Sec. 10, eff. June 17, 2011.
Reenacted and amended by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0172, eff. April 2, 2015.
Amended by: 
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 628 (S.B. 1404), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2019.