Automated hearing screening for children: A pilot study in China.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the reliability and validity of an automated hearing screening test system for children.


METHODS
Cross-sectional within a comparative study of subjects.


METHODS
Subjects were 325 first-grade and second-grade children (6-10 years old) from primary schools in Shenzhen, China.


RESULTS
Using the conventional pure-tone screening test with the pass/refer criterion set as 25 dB HL, as the 'gold standard", the sensitivity and specificity of the automated hearing screening test was 0.63 and 0.82, respectively. No specific pattern in the failure rates was observed to relate to the students' grade. There was no statistically significant age effect or gender effect.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that with further improvement in terms of its sensitivity and specificity, it may be feasible to use the automated hearing screening test system to conduct routine school hearing screenings.
* Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin, Hong Kong.
Anna Chi Shan
AC
Kam
Han
H
Gao
Lawrence Kwok Chang
LK
Li
Hailian
H
Zhao
Shuqi
S
Qiu
Michael Chi Fai
MC
Tong
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000367:Age Factors; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001331:Automation; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002681:China; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results