Hearing disability and communication handicap for compensation purposes based on self-assessment and audiometric testing.
It is reasoned that for compensation or epidemiological studies an evaluation of hearing disability and the concomitant handicap must include the ability to perceive visual cues. A scaling procedure for hearing- and audiovisual communication handicap is presented. The procedure deviates in two ways from previous handicap assessments: (1) It is based on individual self-assessment of semantic speech perception but can be implemented by means of professional audiological test procedures. (2) The system does not make use of pure-tone auditory thresholds as a predominant audiological principle, but is based on speech perception. The interrelationship between auditory and audiovisual handicap is evaluated. A total score including audio- and audiovisual perception handicap is proposed and a suggestion for disability percentages is presented.
D001299:Audiometry / Q000592:standards; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008085:Lipreading; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013067:Speech Perception