Remote self-report and speech-in-noise measures predict clinical audiometric thresholds

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Hearing Science
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Smartphone technology and the COVID-19 pandemic necessitate reliable remote hearing tests.
• Previous remote testing lacked direct comparison with standard lab or clinic assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the validity and reliability of remote, self-administered digits-in-noise (remote-DIN) testing.
• To compare remote-DIN results with lab-based, supervised digits-in-noise (lab-DIN) testing.
• To examine predictive validity of remote-DIN and the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing (SSQ-12) questionnaire against pure-tone audiometry.

Main Methods:

• Adults (18-64 years) with normal hearing (N=16) and hearing loss (N=18) participated.
• Digits-in-noise (DIN) speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were measured remotely and in a lab.
• Tests used English digits in various noise maskers and phases; SSQ-12 and pure-tone audiometry were also administered.

Main Results:

• Remote-DIN SRTs demonstrated high internal consistency and significant correlation with lab-DIN SRTs.
• No significant mean difference was found between remote- and lab-DIN results.
• Remote-DIN SRTs and SSQ-12 scores correlated significantly with pure-tone-average (PTA), with a 2-kHz filtered test being the best predictor of PTA.

Conclusions:

• Remote DIN testing and the SSQ-12 are effective tools for assessing auditory function.
• These findings support wider access to reliable hearing assessments, particularly for remote or underserved populations.