Speech audiometry and fitting of hearing aids in noise

Conventional speech audiometry, performed in a noise-free testing room, often gives only little information on the patient's impairment of speech perception in daily life. A sensitized form of free-field speech audiometry is suggested which simulates everyday speech perception and, at the same time, supplies comparable and reproducible results. The test material consists of phonetically balanced sentences. From separate loudspeakers, a standardized environmental noise with a constant sound pressure level, 50 dB(A) is admixed. By this technique, certain handicaps in speech perception, undetected by conventional test procedures, can be revealed. Above all, the results are in good accordance with the subjective assessment of disability. A standardization of 'handicap speech audiometry' based on these principles is therefore suggested. The comparative hearing-aid fitting in noise improves the final selection with special regard to practical use.