Test-retest reliability of in situ unaided thresholds in adults.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine test-retest reliability of in situ unaided thresholds measured using a handheld hearing aid programmer coupled to a hearing aid transducer in adults with normal hearing.


METHODS
Randomized in situ thresholds at 4 octave frequencies were established in 1 ear of 43 adults twice using the Widex Diva SP3 device with the stimulus generated by and transduced through a Widex Diva SD-9 behind-the-ear hearing aid. Insert earphone tips were used in each of the measures to couple the hearing aid/transducer to the ear canal.


RESULTS
Mean decibel differences between the test and retest thresholds were less than 1 dB at each frequency. Using an 80% statistical test criterion, results revealed test-retest reliability within 5 dB for all frequencies: 98% at 500 Hz, 100% at 1000 and 2000 Hz, and 93% at 4000 Hz.


CONCLUSIONS
Test-retest reliability of in situ unaided thresholds using the SP3/SD-9 device is equivalent to that of currently accepted audiometric procedures.
Smith-Olinde
Laura
L
University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 S. University, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA. lso@uams.edu
Nicholson
Nannette
N
Chivers
Courtney
C
Highley
Patricia
P
Williams
D Keith
DK
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000592:standards*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014159:Transducers