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Simple Tests Compare Well with a Hand-held Audiometer for Hearing Loss Screening in Primary Care
William J Strawbridge1, Margaret I Wallhagen2
1Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Objectives:
To compare hearing loss screening results of four simple tests with those of hand-held audiometry.
Design:
Cross-sectional study of individuals screened during intake for physicals and other routine procedures.
Setting:
Two primary care clinics in the San Francisco Bay area.
Participants:
Older adults not wearing hearing aids (N = 125, mean age 72.9, 63% female).
Measurements:
Direct question about hearing loss, indirect question, finger-rub test, whisper test, and audiometric results using a hand-held audiometer.
Results:
Sensitivity was 91% for the finger-rub test compared with 89% for the direct question, 85% for the indirect question, and 79% for the whisper test. For specificity, the whisper test was highest, followed by the finger rub, indirect, and direct.
Conclusion:
Simple screening procedures can be used to identify older adults with hearing loss in primary care and facilitate early referral for additional testing and treatment.
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