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Published on: January 23, 2017
Telemedicine for audiology screening of infants
Mark Krumm1, Todd Huffman, Kelly Dick
1School of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Kent State University, Ohio 44242, USA. mkrumm@kent.edu
Insights
Remote telemedicine using connected computing successfully provided infant hearing screenings. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) tests showed identical results remotely and in-person.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Telemedicine
- Pediatric Healthcare
Background:
- Infant hearing loss affects 1-3 per 1000 newborns.
- Early detection and intervention are crucial for language development.
- Access to specialized audiological services can be limited in rural areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of using remote computing for infant hearing screenings.
- To compare the efficacy of telemedicine-based DPOAE and AABR with traditional in-person methods.
Main Methods:
- Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) were performed on 30 infants (11-45 days old).
- Screenings were conducted using an integrated system connected to a hospital network.
- An examiner located 200 km away controlled the equipment via a broadband internet connection.
Main Results:
- Telemedicine and face-to-face hearing screening results were identical for all infants.
- No significant differences were found in DPOAE means between telemedicine and in-person trials across frequencies.
- Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in test method efficacy (F = 0.8, P > 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Remote computing is a viable telemedicine approach for infant hearing screening.
- This method can extend audiological services to infants in underserved rural communities.
- Telemedicine offers a practical solution for consistent DPOAE and AABR screening access.
Abstract:
Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) screening were conducted in infants at a distant hospital using remote computing. Eighteen males and twelve females ranging in age from 11-45 days were tested. Both DPOAE and AABR data were recorded using an integrated test system which was connected to the computer network at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Using a broadband Internet connection, an examiner at Utah State University, 200 km away, could control the DPOAE and the ABR equipment. Identical hearing screening results were obtained for face-to-face and telemedicine trials with all infants. The DPOAE means for face-to-face and telemedicine trials were not significantly different at any frequency. In an analysis of variance, there was no significant difference for the test method (F = 0.8, P > 0.05). These results indicate that remote computing is a feasible telemedicine method for providing DPOAE and ABR hearing screening services to infants in rural communities.
