title: Smartphone Based Audiometric Test for Confirming the Level of Hearing; Is It Useable in Underserved Areas?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the hearing levels of participants of a randomized group using a smartphone hearing application and to compare these results with the results from a pure-tone audiogram.
  
  
  METHODS
  A heterogenous group consisting of both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired participants were included in this study. Pure-tone audiogram thresholds were measured from 250 Hz to 8000 Hz, while smartphone measurements were obtained with a Samsung Galaxy GT-19500 S4 with a bundled headphone running the Hearing Test™ software (e-audiologia.pl), which was downloaded from the Google Play Store as a free application. We compared these results with those obtained from pure-tone audiograms performed by an audiologist as a reference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Validity analysis indicated that the results for each ear and each frequency were excellent (>0.75). We assessed the mean difference between the pure-tone audiogram and the smartphone hearing test results and found the absolute difference to be less than 8.8 dB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smartphone hearing test applications are providing alternative tests that present low-cost solutions. Using the hearing application test may decrease the demand for audiological services in underserved areas. The study suggests that smartphone hearing test results are comparable to pure-tone audiometry results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ear Nose and Throat, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Antalya, Turkey. rendalevent@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Renda
authors.forename: Ömer Tarık
authors.initials: ÖT
authors.lastname: Selçuk
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eyigör
authors.forename: Üstün
authors.initials: Ü
authors.lastname: Osma
authors.forename: Mustafa Deniz
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068997:Smartphone; D012984:Software; D055815:Young Adult