No abstract

The long-term average speech spectrum (LTASS) and some dynamic characteristics of speech were determined for 12 languages: English (several dialects), Swedish, Danish, German, French (Canadian), Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Welsh, Singhalese, and Vietnamese. The LTASS only was also measured for Arabic. Speech samples (18) were recorded, using standardized equipment and procedures, in 15 localities for (usually) ten male and ten female talkers. All analyses were conducted at the National Acoustic Laboratories, Sydney. The LTASS was similar for all languages although there were many statistically significant differences. Such differences were small and not always consistent for male and female samples of the same language. For one-third octave bands of speech, the maximum short-term rms level was 10 dB above the maximum long-term rms level, consistent across languages and frequency. A "universal" LTASS is suggested as being applicable, across languages, for many purposes including use in hearing aid prescription procedures and in the Articulation Index.

The participants in the Eriksholm Workshop on "Measuring Outcomes in Audiological Rehabilitation Using Hearing Aids" debated three issues that are reported in this article. First, it was agreed that the characteristics of an optimal outcome measure vary as a function of the purpose of the measurement. Potential characteristics of outcome self-report tools for four common goals of outcome measurement are briefly presented to illustrate this point. Second, 10 important research priorities in outcome measurement were identified and ranked. They are presented with brief discussion of the top five. Third, the concept of generating a brief universally applicable outcome measure was endorsed. This brief data set is intended to supplement existing outcome measures and to promote data combination and comparison across different social, cultural, and health-care delivery systems. A set of seven core items is proposed for further study.