Back to Search
Start Over
Smartphone-based audiometric test for screening hearing loss in the elderly
- Source :
- European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. 273(2)
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Hearing loss is widespread among the elderly. One of the main obstacles to rehabilitation is identifying individuals with potentially correctable hearing loss. Smartphone-based hearing tests can be administered at home, thus greatly facilitating access to screening. This study evaluates the use of a smartphone application as a screening tool for hearing loss in individuals aged ≥65 years. Twenty-six subjects aged 84.4 ± 6.73 years (mean ± SD) were recruited. Pure-tone audiometry was administered by both a smartphone application (uHear for iPhone, v1.0 Unitron, Canada) and a standard portable audiometer by trained personnel. Participants also completed a questionnaire on their hearing. Pure-tone thresholds were compared between the two testing modalities and correlated with the questionnaire results. The cutoff point for failing screening tests was a pure tone average of 40 dB for the frequencies 250–6,000 Hz. The smartphone application’s pure tone thresholds were higher (poorer hearing) than the audiometric thresholds, with a significant difference in all frequencies but 2,000 Hz. The application and the audiometric values were in agreement for 24 subjects (92 %). The application had a sensitivity of 100 % and specificity of 60 % for screening compared with the audiometer. The questionnaire was significantly less accurate, having assigned a passing score to three participants who failed both the application and audiometric tests. While a smartphone application may not be able to accurately determine the level of hearing impairment, it is useful as a highly accessible portable audiometer substitute for screening for hearing loss in elderly populations.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Hearing loss
medicine.medical_treatment
Audiology
Deafness
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Surveys and Questionnaires
otorhinolaryngologic diseases
medicine
Humans
Mass Screening
030212 general & internal medicine
030223 otorhinolaryngology
Hearing Loss
Audiometer
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Rehabilitation
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Pure tone
Significant difference
Audiometric test
Reproducibility of Results
General Medicine
Equipment Design
Otorhinolaryngology
Audiometry, Pure-Tone
Female
Smartphone
Audiometry
medicine.symptom
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14344726
- Volume :
- 273
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....679c08991f6315a29395bec84872ff8b