Validation of a screening test of auditory function using the telephone

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Telemedicine
• Hearing Health

Background:

• European countries utilize telephone screening for auditory function.
• Tests involve digit sequences in noise with adaptive speech-to-noise ratios.
• The goal is to identify the threshold for 50% correct recognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop a US version of the telephone hearing screening protocol: the US National Hearing Test (NHT).
• Evaluate the NHT's sensitivity, specificity, and feasibility for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
• Utilize a multisite study with 693 participants (1379 ears) across three US locations.

Main Methods:

• Participants called a toll-free number to access the NHT.
• Listened to digit triplets in background noise and entered responses.
• Data collected included NHT results, demographics, and standard audiometric tests.

Main Results:

• NHT correlated significantly with mean pure-tone thresholds (p < 0.001).
• Sensitivity was 0.87 and specificity 0.54 when compared to a 3-frequency PTA.
• Sensitivity was 0.81 and specificity 0.65 when compared to a 4-frequency PTA, showing improved specificity.

Conclusions:

• The NHT demonstrates strong correlations with pure-tone thresholds and speech-in-noise tests.
• These findings support the NHT's utility as a reliable screening tool for auditory function.
• The telephone-based approach offers a feasible method for hearing screening within the VA system.