Increasing Hearing Readiness Using Boothless Audiometry
Benjamin Sheffield1,2, Devon Kulinski2, Jaclyn Schurman2
1Hearing Conservation and Readiness Branch, Defense Centers for Public Health - Aberdeen, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010, USA.
Military Medicine
|November 10, 2023
Summary
Boothless audiometers effectively supplement standard hearing tests for U.S. Army soldiers, restoring hearing readiness post-COVID-19. This innovation enhances military audiology and hearing conservation programs.
Area of Science:
- Military audiology
- Occupational health
- Hearing conservation
Background:
- U.S. Army regulations mandate annual audiometric testing for soldier hearing readiness.
- The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional multi-person, in-booth audiometry, causing significant declines in hearing readiness.
- The Army Hearing Program sought innovative solutions to maintain audiological surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of boothless audiometers as a supplement to standard audiometric testing.
- To assess the impact of boothless audiometry on hearing readiness within the U.S. Army.
- To explore additional capabilities offered by boothless audiometry for hearing health.
Main Methods:
- 169 boothless audiometers were procured using CARES Act funding.
- Standard operating procedures were developed for boothless testing, matching traditional parameters.
- Automated contralateral masking, tinnitus screening, and hearing health education were integrated.
Main Results:
- Nearly 12,000 service members were tested worldwide using boothless audiometers.
- Thresholds from boothless audiometry showed comparable results to standard in-booth testing (mean difference -1.2, 95% CI -0.9 to 0.9).
- Hearing readiness returned to pre-pandemic levels at sites utilizing boothless audiometers.
Conclusions:
- Boothless audiometers provided an effective solution to pandemic-related disruptions in hearing readiness.
- The technology demonstrated comparable accuracy to traditional methods.
- Innovations from this initiative offer potential improvements for permanent inclusion in DoD Hearing Conservation Programs.
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