Hearing screening for school children: comparison of low-cost, computer-based and conventional audiometry.
BACKGROUND
There is a need to develop affordable but effective audiometric screening equipment, particularly for use in low-income countries. With advances in computer technology, low-cost computer-based audiometer software has been developed. However, the efficacy of computer-based audiometers in hearing screening and diagnostic assessment requires investigation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a low-cost, computer-based audiometric system in a school-based hearing screening programme.


METHODS
Eighty children were screened using the computer-based audiometer and with a conventional pure tone screening audiometer. Overall refer rates, as well as frequency and age effects on the accuracy of the computer-based audiometer, were considered.


RESULTS
There was a significant relationship between the low-cost, computer-based audiometer and a conventional pure tone audiometer when a 40 dBHL refer criterion was used in school hearing screening and when test results at 500 Hz were excluded from analysis. However, background noise effects and software limitations in the computer-based system had major adverse effects on screening performance.


CONCLUSIONS
The study results and preliminary practical experience with the system suggest that, with further software and hardware improvements, a low-cost, computer-based system may well be feasible for routine school screening in developing countries.
McPherson
B
B
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. dbmcpher@hkucc.hku.hk
Law
M M S
MM
Wong
M S M
MS
D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation; D002648:Child; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods