Abstract
Quantifying hearing thresholds via mobile self-assessment audiometric applications has been demonstrated repeatedly with heterogenous results regarding the accuracy. One important limitation of several of these applications has been the lack of appropriate calibration of their core technical components (sound generator and headphones). The current study aimed at evaluating accuracy and reliability of a calibrated application (app) for pure-tone screening audiometry by self-assessment on a tablet computer: Audimatch app installed on Apple iPad 4 in combination with Sennheiser HDA-280 headphones. In a repeated-measures design audiometric thresholds collected by the app were compared to those obtained by standardized automated audiometry and additionally test-retest reliability was evaluated. Sixty-eight participants aged 19–65 years with normal hearing were tested in a sound-attenuating booth. An equivalence test revealed highly similar hearing thresholds for the app compared with standardized automated audiometry. A test-retest reliability analysis within each method showed a high correlation coefficient for the app (Spearman rank correlation: rho = 0.829) and for the automated audiometer (rho = 0.792). The results imply that the self-assessment of audiometric thresholds via a calibrated mobile device represents a valid and reliable alternative for stationary assessment of hearing loss thresholds, supporting the potential usability within the area of occupational health care.
Highlights
Hearing loss together with its negative personal and socio-economic consequences represents a serious health issue across cultures and around the globe
According to standardized automated audiometry, 66 of 68 participants had normal hearing defined by the WHO criteria, i.e., pure-tone average (PTA) of 0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz: Normal hearing (≤25 dB HL), mild (26–40 dB), moderate (41–60 dB), severe (61– 80 dB), or profound hearing loss like deafness (>81 dB) on the better hearing ear
Evaluation of a Mobile Screening Audiometer for Self-Assessment within a clinically acceptable range as indicated by an equivalence test. The convergence of both audiograms revealed by each device was demonstrated by the correlation of hearing thresholds
Summary
Hearing loss together with its negative personal and socio-economic consequences represents a serious health issue across cultures and around the globe. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017) about 466 million people are already affected by a disabling hearing loss, while 1.1 billion young people (12–35 years) are at risk of hearing loss. The personal and socio-economic consequences of hearing loss are severe (Shield, 2006). In adults the consequences can range from mild impairments in the ability to communicate with others, pretending to hear, avoiding social situations (Thomas and Herbst, 1980; Kerr and Cowie, 1997) and increased stress
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