Smartphone hearing screening with integrated quality control and data management. (December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Swanepoel, De Wet; Myburgh, Hermanus C.; Howe, David M.; Mahomed, Faheema; Eikelboom, Robert H.
• Is Part Of: International journal of audiology. Volume 53:Number 12(2014:Dec.)
• Page Start: 841
• Page End: 849
• Publication Date: 2014-12
• Subjects: Audiology -- Periodicals; Hearing disorders -- Periodicals; Deafness -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Hearing Disorders -- Periodicals; Hearing -- Periodicals; 617.8
• DOI: 10.3109/14992027.2014.920965
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1499-2027

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Objective:</italic> To determine if a smartphone application could be used as a calibrated screening audiometer with real-time noise monitoring for school screening using automated test sequences. <italic>Design:</italic> The investigation comprised three studies. Study 1 evaluated calibration accuracy across four Samsung S5301 smartphones (Android v4.0.4) using commercial Sennheiser HD202 headphones. Study 2 involved referencing smartphone microphone sensitivity to narrowband noise intensity as measured in octave bands by a sound-level meter between 30 and 75 dB SPL (5 dB increments). Study 3 compared screening outcomes of smartphone based and conventional hearing screening. <italic>Study sample:</italic> Study 2: 15 normal-hearing subjects (age range, 18–22 years; all female). Study 3: 162 children (324 ears) aged 5 to 7 years. <italic>Results:</italic> Smartphone calibration at 20, 30, and 40 dB was within 1 dB of recommended reference equivalent thresholds levels. Microphone calibration for noise monitoring had maximum variability across phones of 0.9, 0.6, and 2.9 dB at 1, 2, and 4 kHz, respectively, from reference intensities (30 to 75 dB SPL). Screening outcomes demonstrated no significant difference between smartphone and conventional audiometry with an overall referral rate of 4.3% and 3.7%, respectively. <italic>Conclusions:</italic> The newly developed smartphone application can be accurately calibrated for audiometry with valid real-time noise monitoring, and clinical results are comparable to conventional screening.</p> </abstract>