title: Smartphone-based audiometric test for screening hearing loss in the elderly.
abstract: Hearing loss is widespread among the elderly. One of the main obstacles to rehabilitation is identifying individuals with potentially correctable hearing loss. Smartphone-based hearing tests can be administered at home, thus greatly facilitating access to screening. This study evaluates the use of a smartphone application as a screening tool for hearing loss in individuals aged ≥ 65 years. Twenty-six subjects aged 84.4 ± 6.73 years (mean ± SD) were recruited. Pure-tone audiometry was administered by both a smartphone application (uHear for iPhone, v1.0 Unitron, Canada) and a standard portable audiometer by trained personnel. Participants also completed a questionnaire on their hearing. Pure-tone thresholds were compared between the two testing modalities and correlated with the questionnaire results. The cutoff point for failing screening tests was a pure tone average of 40 dB for the frequencies 250-6,000 Hz. The smartphone application's pure tone thresholds were higher (poorer hearing) than the audiometric thresholds, with a significant difference in all frequencies but 2,000 Hz. The application and the audiometric values were in agreement for 24 subjects (92 %). The application had a sensitivity of 100 % and specificity of 60 % for screening compared with the audiometer. The questionnaire was significantly less accurate, having assigned a passing score to three participants who failed both the application and audiometric tests. While a smartphone application may not be able to accurately determine the level of hearing impairment, it is useful as a highly accessible portable audiometer substitute for screening for hearing loss in elderly populations.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Abu-Ghanem
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. ophir.handzel@ozen.co.il.|The Cochlear Implant Program, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann St., Tel-Aviv, 6423906, Israel. ophir.handzel@ozen.co.il.
authors: Ophir
authors: O
authors: Handzel
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors: Lior
authors: L
authors: Ness
authors: Department of Communication Disorders, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
authors: Miri
authors: M
authors: Ben-Artzi-Blima
authors: Department of Communication Disorders, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Fait-Ghelbendorf
authors: Department of Communication Disorders, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.|Institute of Audiology, Speech and Swallowing Disorders, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors: Mordechai
authors: M
authors: Himmelfarb
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003638:Deafness / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D000068997:Smartphone / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Audiometry; Elderly; Hearing loss; Mobile applications; Screening
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