AMTASTM and user-operated smartphone research application audiometry-An evaluation study

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Medical Technology
• Hearing Science

Background:

• Traditional manual audiometry is the standard for hearing assessments.
• User-operated audiometry methods offer potential for increased accessibility and remote testing.
• Evaluating the accuracy and reliability of these novel methods is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the accuracy of two user-operated audiometry methods: AMTASTM PC-based system and a smartphone research application (R-App).
• To compare these methods against traditional manual audiometry.
• To determine the test-retest reliability of both user-operated methods.

Main Methods:

• A repeated-measures within-subject study design was employed.
• 58 subjects (116 ears) participated, including those with normal hearing and hearing loss.
• Audiometry was performed using AMTASTM, R-App, and traditional manual methods.

Main Results:

• Both AMTASTM and R-App demonstrated accuracy comparable to traditional manual audiometry across frequencies 250-8000 Hz.
• Standard deviations of absolute differences were within acceptable ranges (3.9-6.9 dB for AMTASTM, 4.5-6.8 dB for R-App).
• Test-retest reliability showed acceptable variation, with mean threshold differences within ±1.5 dB (AMTASTM) and ±1 dB (R-App).

Conclusions:

• AMTASTM and the R-App are accurate and reliable for audiometry, comparable to traditional methods.
• These user-operated methods can be effectively used in quiet, non-soundproofed environments.
• The findings support the potential of these technologies for wider hearing assessment applications.