Apps for Audiology – Evaluation of a Novel iPad-­‐Based Audiometer App

Abstract

Part 1 – Evaluation of Audiogram Mobile Objective: To investigate the test-­‐retest reliability, accuracy and usability of an iPad audiometer app, Audiogram Mobile. Design: Twenty participants undertook four pure-­‐tone audiometry tests in a single session. Two tests were performed with a GSI 61 audiometer (gold standard) and two tests with Audiogram Mobile. In a separate session, five participants rated the usability of the Audiogram Mobile app using the System Usability Scale (SUS). Study Sample: Twenty normal hearing participants were recruited for the test-­‐retest and accuracy evaluation, consisting of 13 female and 7 male participants, aged 21 to 26 years. Five audiology students were recruited for the usability assessment, consisting of 2 male and 3 female participants aged 22 to 26 years. Results: Audiogram Mobile was has good test-­‐retest reliability compared to the gold standard, but poorer accuracy. The average SUS score obtained was low (62). Task success rate was high (100%), but no correlation between SUS score and task success rate was observed. Conclusion: The Audiogram Mobile app could be implemented in a clinical setting, once the issues of accuracy and usability are addressed. Part 2 – Evaluation of the Tone-­‐In-­‐Noise (TIN) Test Objective: To evaluate an alternative test (the TIN test) for conductive hearing loss, since the Audiogram Mobile app has no facility for bone conduction testing. Design: Participants underwent a full diagnostic hearing test to verify the cause of their hearing loss, followed by the TIN test. Study Sample: Fourteen participants were recruited, ranging from 22 to 69 years. Results were analysed in terms of ears – 11 ears in the normal hearing (NH) group, 9 ears in the conductive hearing loss (CHL) group and 8 ears in the sensorineural (SNHL) group. Results: Participants with hearing loss (SNHL and CHL) required a better SNR to detect the signal, compared to the NH group. There was a correlation between the pure tone threshold and SNR required to perform for the SNHL group but not the CHL group. Criteria for identifying conductive hearing loss using the test were proposed. Conclusion: This preliminary investigation indicates the TIN test has potential for clinical use, although more research is required with a larger sample size and greater statistical power.