Validation of the Effectiveness of Three-Step Hand Rub Hearing Screening

Background: Hearing loss is an important public health concern worldwide, especially because of the global trend of aging populations. Therefore, simple, effective, and efficient methods of hearing screening within communities are needed.Purpose: To develop and validate the effectiveness of a novel three-step hand rub hearing screening (3SHRHS) method to efficiently detect and categorize hearing loss severity.Research Design: This was a prospective study.Study Sample: The recruited participants were 470 adults (940 ears).Data Collection and Analysis: The 3SHRHS test involved the following three sequential steps: palm rub at 2 cm; finger rub at 2 cm; and finger rub at 70 cm. Pure-tone audiometry served as the reference standard for hearing loss classification.Results: The 3SHRHS method demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for detecting different levels of hearing loss severity. In both quiet and noisy environments, step 1 demonstrated strong evidence of detecting levels more than 55 dB hearing level (HL), whereas step 2 showed moderate evidence of detecting levels exceeding 40 dB HL. However, step 3 exhibited weak evidence of detecting levels greater than 25 dB HL, specifically in quiet environments; therefore, it was considered unreliable for such detections in noisy environments.Conclusion: The 3SHRHS is a rapid and accessible method of detecting and categorizing hearing loss severity. This approach may improve the accessibility of hearing screenings and facilitate early interventions for individuals with hearing loss.