title: Clinical Validity of hearScreen™ Smartphone Hearing Screening for School Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to determine the validity of a smartphone hearing screening technology (hearScreen™) compared with conventional screening audiometry in terms of (1) sensitivity and specificity, (2) referral rate, and (3) test time.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and seventy school-age children in grades 1 to 3 (8 ± 1.1 average years) were recruited from five public schools. Children were screened twice, once using conventional audiometry and once with the smartphone hearing screening. Screening was conducted in a counterbalanced sequence, alternating initial screen between conventional or smartphone hearing screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference in performance between techniques was noted, with smartphone screening demonstrating equivalent sensitivity (75.0%) and specificity (98.5%) to conventional screening audiometry. While referral rates were lower with the smartphone screening (3.2 vs. 4.6%), it was not significantly different (p > 0.05). Smartphone screening (hearScreen™) was 12.3% faster than conventional screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smartphone hearing screening using the hearScreen™ application is accurate and time efficient.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; 2Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia; 3Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; 4Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; and 5George S. Osborne College of Audiology, Salus University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Faheema
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahomed-Asmail
authors.forename: De Wet
authors.initials: de W
authors.lastname: Swanepoel
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Eikelboom
authors.forename: Hermanus C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Myburgh
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D063731:Mobile Applications; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000068997:Smartphone