Accuracy and Reliability of Smartphone Self-Test Audiometry in Community Clinics in Low Income Settings: A Comparative Study

Accuracy and Reliability of Smartphone Self-Test Audiometry in Community Clinics in Low Income Settings : A Comparative Study

Background: There is a lack of hearing health care globally, and tele-audiology and mobile technologies have been proposed as important strategies to reduce the shortfall. Objectives: To investigate the accuracy and reliability of smartphone self-test audiometry in adults, in community clinics in low-income settings.Methods: A prospective, intra-individual, repeated measurements design was used. Sixty-three adult participants (mean age 52 years, range 20-88 years) were recruited from ENT and primary health care clinics in a low-income community in Tshwane, South Africa. Air conduction hearing thresholds for octave frequencies 0.5 to 8 kHz collected with the smartphone self-test in non-sound treated environments were compared to those obtained by reference audiometry.Results: The overall mean difference between threshold seeking methods (ie, smartphone thresholds subtracted from reference) was -2.2 dB HL (n = 467 thresholds, P = 0.00). Agreement was within 10 dB HL for 80.1% (n = 467 thresholds) of all threshold comparisons. Sensitivity for detection hearing loss >40 dB HL in one ear was 90.6% (n = 84 ears), and specificity 94.2% (n = 84 ears).Conclusion: Smartphone self-test audiometry can provide accurate and reliable air conduction hearing thresholds for adults in community clinics in low-income settings.

Swanepoel, DeWet (author)
Laurent, ClaudeUmeå universitet,Öron- näs- och halssjukdomar,Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa(Swepub:umu)clla0008 (author)
Umefjord, GöranUmeå universitet,Allmänmedicin(Swepub:umu)gonumd02 (author)
Lundberg, ThorbjörnUmeå universitet,Allmänmedicin(Swepub:umu)thlu0019 (author)
Umeå universitetAllmänmedicin (creator_code:org_t)

In:Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology: Sage Publications129:6, s. 578-5840003-48941943-572X

By the author/editor: Sandström, Josef ...; Swanepoel, DeWet; Laurent, Claude; Umefjord, Göran; Lundberg, Thorbj ...

About the subject

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Clinical Medicin ...; and Otorhinolaryngol ...

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