Remote Hearing Research Articles

Adolescent-Centered mHealth Applications in a Collaborative Care Model: A Virtual Focus Group Study With Audiologists.

Technology-enabled care, including the use of mobile health (mHealth), is emerging as a viable hearing health care delivery method. While the integration of mHealth with adult populations currently supports a wide array of hearing services, a better understanding of the implementation across the lifespan is needed. Literature surrounding the unique population of adolescent hearing aid users is currently lacking. Research is needed to highlight factors important to the use and clinical integration of mHealth hearing aid applications (apps) with adolescents. This study explored two primary objectives: (a) audiologists' perceptions around the use of mHealth apps to enable collaborative, child-inclusive hearing aid personalization, and (b) person-centered ideation around potential app design components to benefit users aged 12 to 17 years. Twelve audiologists participated in virtual synchronous focus groups, across three group sessions using Cisco Webex. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an inductive, codebook thematic analysis approach. Six main themes resulted from group discussion analyses: (a) client candidacy: characteristics impacting suitability for mHealth use; (b) clinical implementation: organizational, professional, or patient-level strategies for mHealth adoption; (c) collaboration: the use of two or more individuals working together; (d) empowerment: process of acquiring and using knowledge, skills, and strategies; (e) remote technology: technologies enabling remote hearing aid personalization; and (f) application functionality and design: features and characteristics important to an adolescent-focused app. Findings identified the potential for clinical integration of hearing aid apps with adolescents in a collaborative care model, including consideration of child-specific use patterns, outcomes, and key design and technology components to support real-world implementation and use. Results may guide development and tailoring efforts around existing and future hearing aid apps for use with adolescent populations.

Remote Field Application of Digital Technology for Hearing Assessments in a Cohort of Pediatric Germ Cell Tumor Survivors.

Childhood cancer survivors treated with platinum-based chemotherapy are at risk of treatment-induced hearing loss. Accurate evaluation of hearing thresholds has historically been limited to clinical audiometry, which is logistically challenging and expensive to include in epidemiologic studies. We evaluated the feasibility of using a remote, tablet-based hearing assessment in a cohort of pediatric germ cell tumor survivors treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Survivors from the GCT Outcomes and Late effects Data (GOLD) study were recruited to the pilot study (n = 100). Study personnel conducted remote hearing assessments of standard and extended high frequency thresholds using validated tablet-based audiometry (SHOEBOX, Inc.). T tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests evaluated differences in assessment characteristics between children and adults. Agreement between self-reported and measured hearing loss was calculated using Cohen κ. We were able to reach 136/168 (81%) eligible participants, of which 100 (74%) agreed to participate. Successful completion of the remote hearing assessment was high [97%; 20 children (ages 7-17), 77 adults (ages 18-31)]. The mean assessment length was 37.6 minutes, and the mean turnaround time was 8.3 days. We observed hearing loss at standard frequencies in 21% of participants. Agreement between self-reported and measured hearing loss was significant (P value = 1.41 × 10-7), with 83.5% concordance. Hearing loss measured using the remote assessment aligns with self-reporting and rates of hearing loss reported in the literature for this population. Remote application of tablet-based audiometry is a feasible and efficacious method for measuring hearing in epidemiologic studies with participants spread across large geographic areas.

Tools for telehealth: A correlational analysis of app-based hearing testing.

Telehealth evaluation of hearing is rapidly evolving; however, the lack of consensus on the most accurate remote hearing test application has made hearing evaluation complicated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the pure tone audiometry results obtained from app-based hearing testing programs and a traditional audiogram. A prospective within-subject and between-subject study design was used to correlate audiogram results between app-based hearing programs and a traditional audiogram. All participants completed a traditional audiogram, 1 commercial app-based test (ShoeBox), 2 consumer app-based tests (EarTrumpet and Hearing Test and Ear Age Test [HTEAT]), and a Hearing Handicap Inventory screening version (HHI-S). Testing was conducted in an acoustically controlled environment (traditional) and a quiet room (app-based hearing tests). A total of 39 participants were enrolled in the study (21 with normal hearing and 18 with hearing loss). In patients with normal hearing, only the commercial hearing testing app (ShoeBox) had a statistically significant pure tone average correlation in both ears with traditional audiometry (Right ear-r = 0.7, p = .005, Left ear-r = 0.66, p = .001). Both consumer and commercial apps had statistically significant correlations with both ears in patients with hearing loss (ranging from r = 0.62 to r = 0.9). Regarding accuracy within 10 dB of the pure tone average of the traditional audiogram of all tested ears, the commercial app-based test was accurate in 94% for all ears (normal and hearing loss), while consumer app-based tests were between 14% and 36% for all ears. The HHI-S indicated no hearing impairment in 95% of those with normal hearing and indicated hearing impairment in 89% of those with hearing loss. Commercial-grade app-based pure tone audiometry demonstrates overall strong correlation and accuracy with traditional audiometry. The HHI-S assessment remains a valid and useful tool to predict normal hearing and hearing impairment. 2.

Systematic review of patient and service outcome measures of remote digital technologies for cochlear implant and hearing aid users

IntroductionThe use of telehealth for cochlear implant (CI) and hearing aid service provision has the potential to provide efficient, effective, and equitable services to users. However, clinicians require evidence that remote technologies provide care that is equal, or superior to, standard delivery. There are many outcome measures used across audiology, however there is little consensus for a standardized approach to assessment. This systematic review aims to identify the outcome measures to assess remote technologies for CI and hearing aid users, as a first step in a larger project to develop a core outcome set for remote technologies in CI users.MethodsA systematic search of seven electronic databases was conducted using a search strategy defined by PICOTS for the research question. Eligible studies were in English and published in 2012 onwards. Search strategy, selection, and data collection followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines.ResultsThis systematic literature review of 49 articles revealed over 250 discrete outcomes. Outcome measures were grouped into core areas, outcome domains, and outcome sub-domains. Studies assessing remote technology for CI users assessed significantly more outcomes in the ear and labyrinth domain (43% vs. 10%) and studies assessing remote technology in hearing aid users assessed significantly more outcomes in the cognitive (28% vs. 5%) and emotional (35% vs. 10%) functioning domains. Outcome measures within the auditory functioning domain were also significantly different, with CI studies utilizing more speech perception measures (95% vs. 21%) and hearing aid studies utilizing significantly more self-reported outcome measures (73% vs. 19%).DiscussionThe inclusion of hearing aid studies was to ensure that all key outcome domains used within remote hearing rehabilitation were captured, as well as to compare differences in outcome domains between the two user groups. There were significant differences between studies of remote technologies for CI and hearing aid users. These results will inform the ongoing development of a core outcome set for remote technologies in CI users.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=370171, identifier: CRD42022370171.

Breaking Sound Barriers: Exploring Tele-Audiology's Impact on Hearing Healthcare.

Hearing impairment is a global issue, affecting billions of people; however, there is a gap between the population affected by hearing loss and those able to access hearing healthcare. Tele-audiology, the application of telemedicine in audiology, serves as a new form of technology which aims to provide synchronous or asynchronous hearing healthcare. In this article, we reviewed some recent studies of tele-audiology-related topics to have a glimpse of the current development, associated challenges, and future advancement. Through the utilization of tele-audiology, patients can conveniently access hearing healthcare, and thus save travel costs and time. Recent studies indicate that remote hearing screening and intervention are non-inferior to the performance of traditional clinical pathways. However, despite its potential benefits, the implementation of tele-audiology faces numerous challenges, and audiologists have varying attitudes on this technology. Overcoming obstacles such as high infrastructure costs, limited reimbursement, and the lack of quality standards calls for concerted efforts to develop effective strategies. Ethical concerns, reimbursement, and patient privacy are all crucial aspects requiring in-depth discussion. Enhancing the education and training of students and healthcare workers, along with providing relevant resources, will contribute to a more efficient, systematic hearing healthcare. Future research will aim to develop integrated models with evidence-based protocols and incorporating AI to enhance the affordability and accessibility of hearing healthcare.

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Civil Proceedings in Poland

Abstract The article discusses a possibility and circumstances of conducting a remote hearing in the Polish civil procedure. Especially, the authors describe and analyse the legal provisions applicable prior, during and after Covid-19 as well as their impact on the process of informatization of the civil proceedings in Poland with the main focus on remote hearings that were not - generally, possible before Covid-19. The article also takes a closer look at the possibility to participate in a trial outside the seat of the court and the principle of openness of the proceedings.

Remote or in-clinic? The effect of service delivery mode on hearing aid output: study protocol for a double-blinded, randomised trial in adults with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss

BackgroundTeleaudiology can potentially improve access to hearing healthcare services. Remote hearing aid fittings offer a new mode of service delivery that removes barriers of geography and access to an audiologist. Real-ear measurements (REMs) are the gold standard for hearing aid output verification but require in-clinic appointments. This study will investigate whether remote hearing aid fittings can provide clinically equivalent outcomes when compared to current, in-clinic, best practice guidelines.Research designA repeated measure, double-blinded crossover design will be used. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups to determine order of intervention, balanced for degree of hearing loss.Study sampleSixty adults with mild to moderate hearing loss and at least 1 year of experience with hearing aids will be recruited.Data collection and analysisParticipants will complete two hearing aid fitting protocols, one using an in-clinic fitting process and the other using a remote (at-home) fitting process. In-clinic fittings will include REMs with adjustments to standard (NAL-NL2) prescription targets. The two fitting protocols will then be randomly assigned to participants in a crossover design, so participants and researchers will be blinded to the order of the two fitting protocols. Participants will then have a 4-week period with follow-up appointments for participant-directed gain adjustment. For each fitting protocol, participants will complete objective measurements of final hearing aid output with REMs, speech-in-noise testing, subjective measurements of hearing aid performance, and quality of life measurements. They will then begin an identical period of living with, adjusting, and objective assessment with the other fitting protocol. Data will be analysed as repeated measures with statistical control for potential confounding variables.ResultsData will compare the four-frequency average real-ear aided response (4FREAR) for hearing aids programmed in-clinic and hearing aids programmed remotely, after participant-directed gain adjustments. Secondary measures will assess clinically significant differences in estimated speech intelligibility, hearing-related quality of life, hearing aid benefit, sound quality and preference, and speech-in-noise ability.ConclusionsThis study will inform the development of best practice guidelines for remote hearing aid fittings. If no clinically significant differences are found between in-clinic and remote fit hearing aids, it has the potential to expand teleaudiology initiatives.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12623000028606p. Date of registration: 12 January 2023.

The reliability of remote diagnostic hearing assessment in school-entry-aged children

Objective To explore the feasibility of remote diagnostic hearing testing within schools, for school-entry aged children (4–7 years). Design A prospective cross-sectional comparative study design was used to establish the reliability of remote hearing assessment by comparing traditional face-to-face pure tone audiometry (PTA) with remote PTA, traditional otoscopy with remote video otoscopy and interpretation of tympanograms in-person with remote analysis. Study Sample 464 school-entry year level children from 18 schools. Results Air conduction thresholds established by remote testing were within a clinically acceptable range of ±10 dB HL from traditional thresholds in 98% of cases at 1 kHz and 97.8% at 4 kHz. Bone conduction thresholds varied by ≤10 dB HL in 100% of cases at 1 kHz and 95.7% at 4 kHz. Remote otoscopy and tympanometry interpretation had 78.6% agreement (moderate; κ = 0.6) and 92.2% agreement (almost perfect; κ = 0.9), respectively. Conclusions We found there to be good reliability between face-to-face PTA and remote PTA performed within the school environment. Furthermore, assessment of the outer and middle ear via video otoscopy and remote tympanometry classification were both viable. Remote diagnostic hearing tests in schools can extend reach of paediatric services in rural areas.

In-situ Audiometry Compared to Conventional Audiometry for Hearing Aid Fitting.

The use of in-situ audiometry for hearing aid fitting is appealing due to its reduced resource and equipment requirements compared to standard approaches employing conventional audiometry alongside real-ear measures. However, its validity has been a subject of debate, as previous studies noted differences between hearing thresholds measured using conventional and in-situ audiometry. The differences were particularly notable for open-fit hearing aids, attributed to low-frequency leakage caused by the vent. Here, in-situ audiometry was investigated for six receiver-in-canal hearing aids from different manufacturers through three experiments. In Experiment I, the hearing aid gain was measured to investigate whether corrections were implemented to the prescribed target gain. In Experiment II, the in-situ stimuli were recorded to investigate if corrections were directly incorporated to the delivered in-situ stimulus. Finally, in Experiment III, hearing thresholds using in-situ and conventional audiometry were measured with real patients wearing open-fit hearing aids. Results indicated that (1) the hearing aid gain remained unaffected when measured with in-situ or conventional audiometry for all open-fit measurements, (2) the in-situ stimuli were adjusted for up to 30 dB at frequencies below 1000 Hz for all open-fit hearing aids except one, which also recommends the use of closed domes for all in-situ measurements, and (3) the mean interparticipant threshold difference fell within 5 dB for frequencies between 250 and 6000 Hz. The results clearly indicated that modern measured in-situ thresholds align (within 5 dB) with conventional thresholds measured, indicating the potential of in-situ audiometry for remote hearing care.

The Chinese Zodiac-in-Noise Test: An Internet-Based Speech-in-Noise Test for Large-Scale Hearing Screening.

Motivated by the growing need for hearing screening in China, the present study has two objectives. First, to develop and validate a new test, called the Chinese Zodiac-in-noise (ZIN) test, for large-scale hearing screening in China. Second, to conduct a large-scale remote hearing screening in China, using the ZIN test developed. The ZIN test was developed following a similar procedure as the digits-in-noise test but emphasizes the importance of consonant recognition by employing the 12 zodiac animals in traditional Chinese culture as speech materials. It measures the speech reception threshold (SRT) using triplets of Chinese zodiac animals in speech-shaped noise with an adaptive procedure. Normative data of the test were obtained in a group of 140 normal-hearing listeners, and the performance of the test was validated by comparisons with pure-tone audiometry in 116 listeners with various hearing abilities. The ZIN test has a reference SRT of -11.0 ± 1.6 dB in normal-hearing listeners with a test-retest variability of 1.7 dB and can be completed in 3 minutes. The ZIN SRT is highly correlated with the better-ear pure-tone threshold ( r = 0.82). With a cutoff value of -7.7 dB, the ZIN test has a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.94 for detecting a hearing loss of 25 dB HL or more at the better ear.A large-scale remote hearing screening involving 30,552 participants was performed using the ZIN test. The large-scale study found a hearing loss proportion of 21.0% across the study sample, with a high proportion of 57.1% in the elderly study sample aged over 60 years. Age and gender were also observed to have associations with hearing loss, with older individuals and males being more likely to have hearing loss. The Chinese ZIN test is a valid and efficient solution for large-scale hearing screening in China. Its remote applications may improve access to hearing screening and enhance public awareness of hearing health.

Exploring teleaudiology adoption, perceptions and challenges among audiologists before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns accelerated the uptake of remote services, however, the integration of teleaudiology into regular clinical practice has been slow, with audiologists reporting several barriers and mixed attitudes. To develop effective strategies and solutions to enhance teleaudiology services and facilitate their acceptance beyond the pandemic, a better understanding of the factors influencing audiologist’s attitudes and usage is needed.The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes towards and usage of teleaudiology by audiologists prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.We aimed to uncover underlying factors influencing teleaudiology adoption to identify potential barriers and opportunities that could inform interventions and future developments.Method and resultsTwo cross-sectional surveys were administered to audiologists between September and October in 2018 and 2021. Questions addressed issues regarding quality of care, satisfaction, and perceived benefits of teleaudiology. Survey items based on the COM-B behaviour model were also included in the 2021 survey. Data were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics.Eighty audiologists completed the 2018 survey and 105 audiologists completed the 2021 survey. In 2021, teleaudiology users reported increased quality of care, quality of relationships with clients and client satisfaction compared to non-users. However, among teleaudiology users, there was a decrease in quality of care, relationships with new clients and job satisfaction in 2021 compared to 2018. The COM-B framework helped identify the major barriers for non-users of teleaudiology such as lack of training, unclear guidelines, and concerns about service quality.ConclusionThe attitudes towards teleaudiology for clinicians before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated, revealing a substantial increase in usage and varying effects on client satisfaction, clinician job satisfaction and service quality. Key potential barriers and factors influencing usage were identified. Targeted solutions may include providing training, scheduling regular teleaudiology appointments to build confidence, and developing reliable tools and technologies to improve remote hearing care.

Remote Interpreting in Criminal Proceedings

Court interpreting is a form of community interpreting looking back at a long history. Indeed, the age of modern conference interpeting dates from the launch of simultaneous interpreting at the Nuremberg Trials following World War II. – Interpreting in court proceedings, in particular, in criminal law cases is indispensable for observing the right to a fair trial, enabling the defendant or applicants to understand the proceedings and make claims. Remote interpreting in court proceedings was employed predominantly in combination with remote hearings in the framework of legal aid procedures, however, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, courts scrambled to continue operations in the uncertain times of lockdown. – This paper examines the fundamental rights backdrop (Article 6 ECHR and Article 47 Charter of Fundamental Rights) and legal basis of court interpreting in Europe (Directive 2010/64/EU) as the legal context of remote court interpreting. Is also examines the European (EU and CoE) policy papers and actions supporting remote hearing and remote interpreting in judicial procedures. It then continues with the case study on remote interpreting at the Hungarian criminal judicial system in the era of the Pandemic. Finally, in light of these findings, the following question is tackled: Does the accused have the same opportunity in the proceedings? In essence: does remote hearing and interpreting guarantee a fair trial?

PRAWO DO SĄDU W DOBIE PANDEMII COVID-19

The right to court is one of the basic constitutional principles in the Polish legal order. The occurrence of COVID-19 forced the legislator to introduce a number of procedural solutions adjusting the judicial reality to this situation. Therefore, the institution of a remote hearing was introduced, the number of cases allowing for remote hearings increased, and greater emphasis was put on the presentation of written positions by the parties to the proceedings. It also significantly affected the preservation of the right to a court, especially in the case of persons less familiar with modern technology and without the support of a professional attorney. This article analyses the provisions introducing new institutions into the Polish civil procedure and leads to the conclusion that the adopted solutions violate the constitutional right to a court. The study touches upon a new subject in the literature on the subject, which undoubtedly constitutes an added value for this issue.

Preserving the Role of the Audiologist in a Clinical Technology, Consumer Channel, Clinical Service Model of Hearing Healthcare.

The past decade has been characterized by significant changes in the distribution and sale of hearing aids. Alternatives to the clinical technology, clinical channel, clinical service (i.e., traditional) hearing healthcare delivery model have been driven by growth in hearing aid dispensaries housed in large retail establishments and direct-to-consumer hearing aid sales by internet-based companies unaffiliated with major hearing aid manufacturers (e.g., Eargo). These developments have been accompanied by acceleration in the growth of teleaudiology services as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting development of nontraditional hearing aid distribution and sales models can be categorized into distinct archetypes as reviewed earlier in this publication. This article will review the Clinical Technology-Consumer Channel-Clinical Service model as exemplified by Jabra Enhance. We will describe a completely digital model of hearing aid distribution and sales that maintains the professional service component throughout the client journey to include an online tone test, the use of a risk mitigation questionnaire, virtual consultations, remote hearing aid adjustments, and the establishment and monitoring of client-centered treatment goals. Furthermore, this article will review the Jabra Enhance model within the context of consumer healthcare decision-making theory with a focus on the Consumer Decision-Making Model.

Parents' Perceptions of the Factors Influencing the Uptake of Remote Pediatric Hearing Aid Support: Development of a Conceptual Framework.

To achieve effective integration of virtual care into family-centered audiology practices, participatory research methods, including parents as vital participants in the delivery of pediatric audiology care, should be considered. A better understanding of the barriers and facilitators influencing the adoption of virtual care for families is warranted. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework of the factors perceived to influence the adoption of remote pediatric hearing aid support among the parents of children with hearing loss. A total of 12 parents of children who wear hearing aids, between the ages of 0-17 years, were recruited to participate in group or individual interviews as part of the 6-step participatory-based concept mapping (CM) process. Data collection was specific to parents in a Canadian context. Analyses included multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The CM process resulted in 6 main themes, displayed in a cluster map according to their order of importance. These themes include access to timely, consistent care; technology considerations; convenience; child engagement; cost; and partnership considerations. Key underlying statements and subthemes are highlighted per theme. Findings from this study demonstrate the use of CM in participatory research with parents and as part of a family-centered care model. Future research should aim to investigate the factors that influence the uptake of remote hearing aid support in different contexts, for example, in low- to middle-income countries versus those in high-income countries.

The Impact of Remote Hearing Policies on Racial Equity in Criminal Case Outcomes During the Pandemic

The Impact of Remote Hearing Policies on Racial Equity in Criminal Case Outcomes During the Pandemic

The Exploratory Study on the Development of Online Based Auditory Training Contents: Based on the Analysis of the Application for Auditory-Training for the Elderly in their 70s and Older

Purpose: Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of teleservices such as telemedicine and digital treatment is increasing. Interest in teleservice is also growing in the filed of audiology. The increase in the demand for remote hearing services will likely lead to the need for online-based auditory training programs. This study aims to investigate and analyze the usage behaviors and functions, the satisfaction of the developed online-based auditory training program, and to suggest the implications of development directions for the online-based auditory training program.Methods: Individual in-depth interviews were conducted. Eleven participants, including five 70s~80s elderly hearing aids users, two program developers, three audiologists, and one professor of audiology, were recruited.Results: Three themes emerged from the interviews were; analysis contents in online-based auditory training, maximized ease of voluntary auditory training, and individualized contents required for the auditory training.Conclusion: The study results highlighted that online-based auditory training needs familiar, easy, short, technology strategy for elderly users with hearing loss. First, familiar topics greatly benefit elderly users because they do not want to learn new and diverse issues. Also, there was a need to provide contents that could attract individual interest using advanced technology. Second, short sentences must be quickly visualized to encourage participantation in the auditory training. Third, ease accessibility to the system for auditory training program is needed. Lastly, the elderly users were proud to use new technology for auditory training, so the professionals must encourage them to continue it. In addition, professionals pointed out that qualified professionals provide the auditory training service and need government support, such as voucher service, for the auditory training. These outcomes will contribute to refining the devleoped online-based auditory training program.

LIMITATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF OPENNESS IN POLISH JUDICIAL-ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THE STANDARDS OF A FAIR HEARING: THE REASONS FOR POSSIBLE COMPLAINTS BROUGHT BEFORE THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Along with the development of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the Polish legislator, by introducing restrictions on the principle of openness in administrative court proceedings, finally decided to exclude the possibility of conducting hearings in court buildings. Currently, it is only possible to proceed in closed session or in the form of a remote hearing – i.e. with the use of technical devices enabling simultaneous direct transmission of vision and sound. The aim of the article is to assess the “Covid regulations” introduced into the Polish legal system, limiting the right of the parties to open hearing of a case pending before administrative courts in terms of the regulations on the right to a fair trial contained in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Did Changes to Adult Hearing Aid Pathways Due to COVID-19 Affect Patient Outcomes? A Service Evaluation.

The objective of this study was to determine whether changes to adult hearing aid provision during COVID-19 affected patient outcomes or service efficiency. A service evaluation compared three cohorts: patients who had hearing aid provision prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (the conventional pathway); patients who had hearing aid provision during the initial national lockdown (remote fittings); and patients who had hearing aid provision during the gradual reopening phase (a blended service with both face-to-face and remote service provision). Outcomes measured the effectiveness and efficiency of the service, using the Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit/Difference Profiles (GHABP/DP) and number of follow-up appointments required. Results were assessed using descriptive statistics and error bars, separately for new and existing users. This study included 240 hearing aid users. Remote fittings adversely impacted the effectiveness of provision for new hearing aid users with a reduction in all GHABP domains. While new users' benefit was equally as good for blended and conventional service provision, blended provision was less efficient and required more follow-up visits. For existing hearing aid users, no differences were seen in GHADP outcomes of different pathways and remote fittings increased service efficiency. Remote hearing aid fittings are less effective for new users than hearing aids fitted using standard face-to-face service provision or service provision using a blended model of remote and face-to-face care. Current pathways using a blended model of care are less efficient but equally effective for new hearing aid users compared with provision prior to COVID-19 and result in equivalent patient outcomes in terms of benefit. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21067585.

Remote auditory assessment using Portable Automated Rapid Testing (PART) and participant-owned devices.

Remote testing of auditory function can be transformative to both basic research and hearing healthcare; however, historically, many obstacles have limited remote collection of reliable and valid auditory psychometric data. Here, we report performance on a battery of auditory processing tests using a remotely administered system, Portable Automatic Rapid Testing. We compare a previously reported dataset collected in a laboratory setting with the same measures using uncalibrated, participant-owned devices in remote settings (experiment 1, n = 40) remote with and without calibrated hardware (experiment 2, n = 36) and laboratory with and without calibrated hardware (experiment 3, n = 58). Results were well-matched across datasets and had similar reliability, but overall performance was slightly worse than published norms. Analyses of potential nuisance factors such as environmental noise, distraction, or lack of calibration failed to provide reliable evidence that these factors contributed to the observed variance in performance. These data indicate feasibility of remote testing of suprathreshold auditory processing using participants' own devices. Although the current investigation was limited to young participants without hearing difficulties, its outcomes demonstrate the potential for large-scale, remote hearing testing of more hearing-diverse populations both to advance basic science and to establish the clinical viability of auditory remote testing.