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Automated smartphone audiometry: Validation of a word recognition test app
Nicholas A Dewyer1, Patpong Jiradejvong1, Jennifer Henderson Sabes1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
The Laryngoscope
|May 26, 2017
Summary
A new smartphone app, WordRec, accurately measures word recognition scores. This automated hearing test shows strong agreement with traditional audiologist evaluations, offering a reliable tool for assessing hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
- Digital Health Technologies
- Diagnostic Test Validation
Background:
- Accurate word recognition testing is crucial for diagnosing and managing hearing loss.
- Traditional speech audiometry requires specialized equipment and trained personnel.
- The development of accessible, portable diagnostic tools is a growing area in audiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an automated smartphone-based word recognition test.
- To compare the accuracy of the smartphone application against the gold standard audiologist-administered test.
Main Methods:
- An automated word recognition test was designed as a smartphone application.
- English-speaking adults with varying degrees of hearing loss were recruited from an audiology clinic.
- Participants completed both the smartphone test and the conventional speech audiometry test.
Main Results:
- Analysis included data from 37 ears.
- The smartphone app's word recognition scores closely aligned with audiologist findings.
- 86% of scores fell within a clinically acceptable error margin, with a correlation coefficient of 0.89.
Conclusions:
- The WordRec smartphone application demonstrates high accuracy in determining word recognition scores.
- This automated tool offers a viable and convenient method for hearing assessment.
- The app has the potential to improve accessibility to hearing diagnostic services.
