Rethinking the Booth: A Commentary on Implementing Boothless Audiometry for Hearing Conservation Programs

This commentary discusses the evolving role of boothless audiometry in hearing conservation programs. It addresses space and access limitations of traditional booth-based testing and explores how boothless solutions offer alternatives for maintaining and boosting service delivery.

We present a conceptual discussion on the utility of boothless audiometry for hearing conservation monitoring, followed by a real-world implementation example from Department of Defense (DOD) hearing conservation clinics.

DOD hearing conservation programs completed over 40,000 boothless hearing tests between 2021 and May 2025, showing progressive year-over-year adoption. Patient satisfaction surveys from over 800 service members revealed positive ratings for boothless compared to traditional booth-based testing. Implementation feedback emphasized the importance of quiet testing environments and comprehensive staff training.

Boothless audiometry represents a viable, and often underutilized, model for conducting audiometric monitoring for hearing conservation programs. Its portability, scalability, and adaptability make it particularly suited to outreach settings, resource-limited clinics, or as a contingency during facility disruptions. This commentary encourages audiologists to explore boothless approaches as complementary, not alternative, methods for increasing access to high-quality care.