TabSINT: open-source mobile software for distributed studies of hearing

Area of Science:

• Medical research technology
• Clinical trial management
• Digital health solutions

Background:

• Growing emphasis on outcomes-based medical research necessitates scalable subject recruitment and testing solutions.
• Current research methods face limitations in accessing diverse and geographically dispersed populations.
• Need for adaptable technology to support multi-site clinical studies and data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce TabSINT, an open-source mobile software for administering customized hearing tests and questionnaires.
• To demonstrate TabSINT's capability in facilitating multi-site data collection and subject recruitment.
• To highlight the potential of TabSINT in enhancing research across various disciplines.

Main Methods:

• Development and deployment of TabSINT, an open-source mobile application for tablets.
• Utilizing text-based templates for creating and modifying test protocols.
• Data export to local storage and optional cloud-based database synchronization.

Main Results:

• TabSINT facilitated the collection of over 25,000 test results between 2014 and 2019.
• More than 200 unique test protocols were utilized across global research sites.
• The software supported data collection from diverse and remote subject cohorts.

Conclusions:

• TabSINT is a robust open-source system enhancing multi-disciplinary research by enabling access to remote and disparate subject populations.
• The software's open-source nature promotes global accessibility and adaptability for researchers worldwide.
• Opportunities exist for collaborative development to further extend TabSINT's capabilities.