Clinical validity of hearScreen™ smartphone hearing screening for school children
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Date
Authors
Mahomed-Asmail, Faheema
Swanepoel, De Wet
Eikelboom, Robert H.
Myburgh, Hermanus Carel
Hall, James Wilbur
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
Abstract
OBJECTIVES : The study aimed to determine the validity of a smartphone hearing screening technology (hearScreen™) compared with conventional screening audiometry in terms of (1) sensitivity and specificity, (2) referral rate, and (3) test time.
DESIGN : One thousand and seventy school-age children in grades 1 to 3 (8 ± 1.1 average years) were recruited from five public schools. Children were screened twice, once using conventional audiometry and once with the smartphone hearing screening. Screening was conducted in a counterbalanced sequence, alternating initial screen between conventional or smartphone hearing screening. RESULTS : No statistically significant difference in performance between techniques was noted, with smartphone screening demonstrating equivalent sensitivity (75.0%) and specificity (98.5%) to conventional screening audiometry. While referral rates were lower with the smartphone screening (3.2 vs. 4.6%), it was not significantly different (p > 0.05). Smartphone screening (hearScreen™) was 12.3% faster than conventional screening. CONCLUSION : Smartphone hearing screening using the hearScreen™ application is accurate and time efficient.
Description
Keywords
Clinical validity, Smartphone hearing screening, School children, HearScreen™
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Mahomed-Asmail, F, Swanepoel, DW, Eikelboom, RH, Myburgh, HC & Hall, JW 2016, 'Clinical validity of hearScreen™ smartphone hearing screening for school children', Ear and Hearing, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. e11-e17.