Computerized surveillance of errors in newborn screening practice.

We describe the use and early results of the Oregon Public Health Laboratory computer to monitor hospital and practitioner compliance with state newborn screening recommendations. The system tracks five major categories of screening practice in which 21 types of errors affecting screening test quality have been identified. Our initial pilot study examined computer generated data for 23,717 specimens submitted by 116 Oregon birthing facilities over a four-month period. Results show that 58.3 per cent of newborn screening specimens were submitted incorrectly according to current state recommendations.