Development and Validation of a Self-Administered Online Hearing Test
Charlotte Vercammen1,2,3, Olaf Strelcyk4,5
1Sonova AG, Research & Development, Stäfa, Switzerland.
Trends in Hearing
|March 18, 2025
Summary
A new online hearing test accurately screens for hearing loss and estimates audiograms using age and self-reported data. This validated tool offers a reliable alternative to traditional hearing screening methods.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Digital Health
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Hearing loss is a prevalent condition impacting millions globally.
- Traditional hearing screening methods can be time-consuming and require clinical settings.
- There is a need for accessible and accurate remote hearing assessment tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a self-administered online hearing test.
- To assess the test's ability to screen for hearing loss and provide an estimated audiogram.
- To evaluate the test's performance against established screening tools.
Main Methods:
- The online hearing test utilizes regression, Bayesian, and binary classification algorithms.
- It incorporates participant age, self-reported hearing abilities, and pure-tone thresholds.
- Development involved 251 participants; external validation used 156 participants, with home-based testing and audiometric assessments.
Main Results:
- The hearing test demonstrated high sensitivity (0.83) and specificity (0.94) for mild hearing loss.
- Positive predictive value was 0.70, and negative predictive value was 0.97.
- Estimated audiograms showed mean differences of 2.1–12.4 dB compared to gold standard thresholds, with a standard deviation of 14.8 dB.
Conclusions:
- The developed online hearing test is a validated tool comparable to current hearing screeners.
- It offers a convenient and effective alternative for hearing loss screening.
- The test additionally provides valuable estimated audiogram data.
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