title: Going wireless and booth-less for hearing testing in industry.
abstract: To assess the test-retest variability of hearing thresholds obtained with an innovative, mobile wireless automated hearing-test system (WAHTS) with enhanced sound attenuation to test industrial workers at a worksite as compared to standardised automated hearing thresholds obtained in a mobile trailer sound booth.
  
  
  
  A within-subject repeated-measures design was used to compare air-conducted threshold tests (500-8000 Hz) measured with the WAHTS in six workplace locations, and a third test using computer-controlled audiometry obtained in a mobile trailer sound booth. Ambient noise levels were measured in all test environments.
  
  
  
  Twenty workers served as listeners and 20 workers served as operators.
  
  
  
  On average, the WAHTS resulted in equivalent thresholds as the mobile trailer audiometry at 1000, 2000, 3000 and 8000 Hz and thresholds were within ±5 dB at 500, 4000 and 6000 Hz.
  
  
  
  Comparable performance may be obtained with the WAHTS in occupational audiometry and valid thresholds may be obtained in diverse test locations without the use of sound-attenuating enclosures.
authors.affiliation: a College of Natural & Health Sciences, Audiology & Speech-Language Sciences, University of Northern Colorado , Greeley , CO , USA and.
authors.forename: Deanna K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Meinke
authors.affiliation: b Research and Development , Creare LLC , Hanover , NH , USA.
authors.forename: Jesse A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.affiliation: b Research and Development , Creare LLC , Hanover , NH , USA.
authors.forename: Brendan P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.affiliation: b Research and Development , Creare LLC , Hanover , NH , USA.
authors.forename: Odile H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Clavier
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001331:Automation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D066192:Manufacturing Industry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: Wireless audiometer; audiometry; automated audiometry; hearing threshold; occupational health; test–retest variability