Hearing screening for school children: Comparison of low-cost, computer-based and conventional audiometry

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McPHERSON, B., Law, M.M.S. and Wong, M.S.M. Hearing screening for school children: Comparison of low-cost, computer-based and conventional audiometry. Child: care, health and development, 36, 323-331. 2010.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01079.x/abstract

Abstract

Background:

There is a need to develop affordable but effective audiometric screening equipment, particularly for use in low-income countries. With advances in computer technology, low-cost computer-based audiometer software has been developed. However, the efficacy of computer-based audiometers in hearing screening and diagnostic assessment requires investigation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a low-cost, computer-based audiometric system in a school-based hearing screening programme.

Methods:Eighty children were screened using the computer-based audiometer and with a conventional pure tone screening audiometer. Overall refer rates, as well as frequency and age effects on the accuracy of the computer-based audiometer, were considered.

Results:There was a significant relationship between the low-cost, computer-based audiometer and a conventional pure tone audiometer when a 40 dBHL refer criterion was used in school hearing screening and when test results at 500 Hz were excluded from analysis. However, background noise effects and software limitations in the computer-based system had major adverse effects on screening performance.

Conclusions:

The study results and preliminary practical experience with the system suggest that, with further software and hardware improvements, a low-cost, computer-based system may well be feasible for routine school screening in developing countries.