Mobile applications to detect hearing impairment: opportunities and challenges

Swanepoel, De Wet; Sousa, Karina C. De; Smits, Cas; Moore, David R.

doi:10.2471/blt.18.227728

Cited by 65 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(30 reference statements)

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“…But, as the app is language-dependent, it demands further validation and conversion into different languages prior to its worldwide usage. 19 A review was performed by Bright et.al. in 2016 on smartphone-based hearing apps.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Mobile-App Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Rajendran

Chye

Shanmuganathan

2020

Preprint

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Objective:Hearing loss is a prevalent disease with free field voice test (FFVT) being a common hearing test performed.FFVT has its own disadvantage as screening tool as there is no standardization of speech among examiners.We aim to invent mobile-app based hearing screening using Flutter-Dart programming language that mimics findings of FFVT.The app is termed as Free field click test (FFCT).Our aim is to compare sensitivity&specificity of FFCT and FFVT with Pure Tone audiogram (PTA).Methods:This is an open-labelled randomized controlled trial. This study was conducted in a sound proof room in our ORL clinic from December-March 2020. 50 patients from 18-80 years old with complaint of hearing loss were recruited.These patients were randomly assigned into two groups; FFVT&FFCT which were compared with PTA.Categorical data were analyzed with Chi-square test,non-categorical data were calculated with Student t-test for statistical significance.Results:Results were calculated based on degree of hearing loss against PTA.FFCT‘s rate of detection of hearing loss was significant for all degrees of hearing loss with p-values of <0.05. FFVT’s detection rate was only significant to normal hearing, moderate & severe hearing loss. FFCT had higher sensitivity of 94.1% for normal hearing compared to 52% for FFVT.FFVT had higher specificity but with a marginal difference only.A higher rate of accuracy (94%) and strength of the correlation (0.97) were obtained for FFCT than FFVT.Conclusion:FFCT is a more sensitive&accurate tool than FFVT in detecting hearing thresholds. It proves to be an ideal tool to screen hearing loss and is convenient in times of social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic now.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Mobile-App Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Rajendran

Chye

Shanmuganathan

2020

Preprint

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“…17 At the same time, with mobile networks now covering 99% of the global population, 18 these technologies provide a powerful and ubiquitous tool for point-of-care health services, surveillance, and remote synchronous and asynchronous telehealth support. 19 Capitalizing on these advances in technology and penetration of connectivity globally, in LMICs in particular, opens up innovative ways to deliver hearing services with the promise of improved access and affordability. 19 In fact, improved mobile connectivity levels, in general, are associated with improved quality of life and progress toward meeting sustainable development goals.…”

Section: Ehealth Technologies Enable More Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…19 Capitalizing on these advances in technology and penetration of connectivity globally, in LMICs in particular, opens up innovative ways to deliver hearing services with the promise of improved access and affordability. 19 In fact, improved mobile connectivity levels, in general, are associated with improved quality of life and progress toward meeting sustainable development goals. 20 Digital technologies used in eHealth solutions can therefore minimize and even negate traditional barriers to hearing care that typically characterize LMICs while enabling new models of care for greater access and affordability.…”

Section: Ehealth Technologies Enable More Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

eHealth Technologies Enable more Accessible Hearing Care

Swanepoel

2020

Semin Hear

Self Cite

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Hearing loss is a pervasive global health care burden affecting up to one in every seven persons of whom 90% reside in low- and middle-income countries. Traditional service-delivery models are unable to support and promote accessible and affordable hearing care in these setting. Major barriers include a severe shortage of hearing health care professionals, costs associated with equipment, facilities and treatments, and centralized service-delivery models. Convergence of digital and connectivity revolutions are combining to enable new ways of delivering decentralized audiological services along the entire patient journey using integrated eHealth solutions. eHealth technologies are allowing nonprofessionals in communities (e.g., community health workers) to provide hearing services with point-of-care devices at reduced cost with remote surveillance and support by professionals. A growing body of recent evidence showcases community-based hearing care within an integrated eHealth framework that addresses some of the barriers of traditional service-delivery models at reduced cost. Future research, especially in low- and middle-income countries, must explore eHealth-supported hearing care services from detection through to treatment.

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“…Clinical apps essentially function as mobile audiometers that are administered by hearing professionals using specific, calibrated equipment 27 . These apps are often not publicly available through app stores, which limits their accessibility 26 . Consumer apps, on the other hand, are widely available on app stores and enable users to self‐administer a hearing test without professional involvement or specific equipment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smartphone‐Based Applications to Detect Hearing Loss: A Review of Current Technology

Irace

Sharma

Reed

et al. 2020

J American Geriatrics Society

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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a widely prevalent yet manageable condition that has been linked to neurocognitive and psychiatric comorbidities. Multiple barriers hinder older individuals from being diagnosed with ARHL through pure-tone audiometry. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in the closure of many outpatient audiology and otolaryngology offices. Smartphone-based hearing assessment apps may overcome these challenges by enabling patients to remotely self-administer their own hearing examination. The objective of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of current mobile health applications (apps) that claim to assess hearing. DESIGN: Narrative review. MEASUREMENTS: The Apple App Store and Google Play Store were queried for apps that claim to assess hearing. Relevant apps were downloaded and used to conduct a mock hearing assessment. Names of included apps were searched on four literature databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) to determine which apps had been validated against gold standard methods. RESULTS: App store searches identified 44 unique apps. Apps differed with respect to the type of test offered (e.g., hearing threshold test), cost, strategies to reduce ambient noise, test output (quantitative vs qualitative results), and options to export results. Validation studies were identified for seven apps. CONCLUSION: Given their low cost and relative accessibility, smartphone-based hearing apps may facilitate screening for ARHL, particularly in the setting of limitations on in-person medical care due to COVID-19. However, app features vary widely, few apps have been validated, and user-centered designs for older adults are largely lacking. Further research and validation efforts are necessary to determine whether smartphone-based hearing assessments are a feasible and accurate screening tool for ARHL.

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Mobile applications to detect hearing impairment: opportunities and challenges

Cited by 65 publications

References 9 publications

Development of a Mobile-App Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Development of a Mobile-App Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial

eHealth Technologies Enable more Accessible Hearing Care

Smartphone‐Based Applications to Detect Hearing Loss: A Review of Current Technology

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Mobile applications to detect hearing impairment: opportunities and challenges

Cited by 65 publications

References 9 publications

Development of a Mobile-App&nbsp;Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Development of a Mobile-App&nbsp;Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial

eHealth Technologies Enable more Accessible Hearing Care

Smartphone‐Based Applications to Detect Hearing Loss: A Review of Current Technology

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Development of a Mobile-App Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Development of a Mobile-App Based Free Field Click Test Against Conventional Free Field Voice Test: A Randomized Controlled Trial