Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Feb;69(2):307-316. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16985. Epub 2020 Dec 29.
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.
Narrative review.
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.
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.
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. Key Points Age-related hearing loss is a prevalent yet undertreated condition among older adults. Why Does this Paper Matter? Smartphone-based hearing test apps may facilitate remote screening for hearing loss, but limitations surrounding app validation, usability, equipment calibration, and data security should be addressed.
背景/目的：与年龄相关的听力损失（ARHL）是一种普遍存在但可治疗的疾病，与神经认知和精神共病有关。多种障碍阻碍了老年人通过纯音测听来诊断 ARHL。在 COVID-19 大流行期间，这种情况尤其如此，许多门诊听力学和耳鼻喉科诊所都关闭了。基于智能手机的听力评估应用程序可以通过允许患者远程自行进行听力检查来克服这些挑战。本综述的目的是提供有关目前声称评估听力的移动健康应用程序（apps）的最新概述。
叙述性综述。
在 Apple App Store 和 Google Play Store 上查询声称评估听力的应用程序。下载相关应用程序并用于进行模拟听力评估。在四个文献数据库（PubMed/MEDLINE、EMBASE、Cochrane 图书馆和 CINAHL）上搜索包含应用程序的名称，以确定哪些应用程序已通过与黄金标准方法的验证。
应用商店搜索确定了 44 个独特的应用程序。应用程序在提供的测试类型（例如，听力阈值测试）、成本、减少环境噪声的策略、测试输出（定量与定性结果）以及导出结果的选项方面存在差异。已确定七种应用程序的验证研究。
鉴于其低成本和相对可及性，基于智能手机的听力应用程序可能有助于筛查 ARHL，尤其是在由于 COVID-19 而对面对面医疗服务进行限制的情况下。然而，应用程序功能差异很大，很少有应用程序经过验证，并且针对老年人的以用户为中心的设计在很大程度上还没有。需要进一步的研究和验证工作来确定基于智能手机的听力评估是否是 ARHL 的可行和准确的筛查工具。
与年龄相关的听力损失是老年人中普遍存在但未得到充分治疗的疾病。
为什么这篇论文很重要？
基于智能手机的听力测试应用程序可能有助于远程筛查听力损失，但应解决应用程序验证、可用性、设备校准和数据安全方面的限制。
