Mahomed-Asmail, FaheemaSwanepoel, De WetEikelboom, Robert H.Myburgh, Hermanus CarelHall, James Wilbur2015-11-112016-01Mahomed-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-e17.0196-0202 (print)1538-4667 (online)10.1097/AUD.0000000000000223http://hdl.handle.net/2263/50392OBJECTIVES : 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.en© 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in Ear and Hearing, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. e11-e17, 2016. doi : 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000223.Clinical validitySmartphone hearing screeningSchool childrenHearScreen™Postprint Article