Cover Image
QR Code

Extended High-Frequency Smartphone Audiometry: Validity and Reliability.

Background: Extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry (8-16 kHz) has an important role in audiological assessments such as ototoxicity monitoring, and for speech recognition and localization. Accurate and reliable EHF testing with smartphone technologies has the potential to provide more affordable a...

Full description

Published in:Journal of the American Academy of Audiology Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 217 - 227
Main Authors: Bornman, Martelle, Biagio De Jager, Leigh, De Wet Swanepoel, Eikelboom, Robert H.
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Thieme Medical Publishing Inc. Mar2019
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=135581334&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 135581334
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        10500545
        9OC
      jtl: Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
      issn: 10500545
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Mar2019
      vid: 30
      iid: 3
      pid: 2811
      pub: Thieme Medical Publishing Inc.
      place: New York, New York
    artinfo:
      ui:
        135581334
        135581334
        135581334
        10.3766/jaaa.17111
        135581334
      ppf: 217
      ppct: 10
      formats:
        fmt:
          @attributes:
            type: P
      tig:
        atl: Extended High-Frequency Smartphone Audiometry: Validity and Reliability.
      aug:
        au:
          Bornman, Martelle
          Biagio De Jager, Leigh
          De Wet Swanepoel
          Eikelboom, Robert H.
        affil: Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
      sug:
        subj:
          Product Evaluation
          Auditory Threshold Evaluation
          Smartphone
          Human
          Convenience Sample
          Purposive Sample
          Female
          Male
          Adolescence
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Repeated Measures
          Paired T-Tests
          Air Conduction
          Test-Retest Reliability
          Data Analysis Software
          Hearing Disorders
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Female
          Male
      ab: Background: Extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry (8-16 kHz) has an important role in audiological assessments such as ototoxicity monitoring, and for speech recognition and localization. Accurate and reliable EHF testing with smartphone technologies has the potential to provide more affordable and accessible hearing-care services, especially in underserved contexts. Purpose: To determine the accuracy and test-retest reliability of EHF audiometry with a smartphone application, using calibrated headphones. Research Design: Air-conduction thresholds (8-16 kHz) and test-retest reproducibility, recorded with conventional audiometry (CA) and smartphone audiometry (SA), using audiometric (Sennheiser HDA 300 circumaural) and nonstandard audiometric (Sennheiser HD202 II supra-aural) headphones, were compared in a repeated-measures design. Study Sample: A total of 61 participants (122 ears) were included in the study. Of these, 24 were adults attending a tuberculosis clinic (mean age = 36.8, standard deviation [SD] = 14.2 yr; 48% female) and 37 were adolescents and young adults recruited from a prospective students program (mean age = 17.6, SD = 3.2 yr; 76% female). Of these, 22.3% (n = 326) of EHF thresholds were ≥25 dB HL. Data Analysis: Threshold comparisons were made between CA and SA, with audiometric headphones and nonstandard audiometric headphones. A paired samples t-test was used for comparison of threshold correspondence between conventional and smartphone thresholds, and test-retest reproducibility of smartphone thresholds. Results: Conventional thresholds corresponded with smartphone thresholds at the lowest intensity (10 dB HL), using audiometric and nonstandard audiometric headphones in 59.4% and 57.6% of cases, respectively. Conventional thresholds (exceeding 10 dB HL) corresponded within 10 dB or less, with smartphone thresholds in 82.9% of cases using audiometric headphones and 84.1% of cases using nonstandard audiometric headphones. There was no significant difference between CA and SA, using audiometric headphones across all frequencies (p > 0.05). Test-retest comparison also showed no significant differences between conditions (p > 0.05). Smartphone test-retest thresholds corresponded within 10 dB or less in 86.7% and 93.4% of cases using audiometric and nonstandard audiometric headphones, respectively. Conclusions: EHF smartphone testing with calibrated headphones can provide an accurate and reliable option for affordable mobile audiometry. The validity of EHF smartphone testing outside a sound booth as a cost-effective and readily available option to detect high-frequency hearing loss in community-based settings should be established.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N