Evaluation of a game-based hearing screening program for identifying hearing loss in primary school-aged children

Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate a tablet-based hearing screening game in primary school aged children. To examine the prevalence of middle/outer ear pathology, hearing loss and spatial processing disorder in primary school aged children.

Design

The automated hearing test Sound Scouts was used as a screening tool, which measures hearing abnormalities through tests of speech-in-quiet/noise and tone-in-noise. Children who failed the screenings underwent follow up testing with pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, otoscopy, and the Listening in Spatialised Noise-Sentences test. Results of each test were compared to measure efficacy.

Study Sample

1256 children aged 4–13 years from 8 primary schools.

Results

111 children (8.84%) presented with evidence of middle/outer ear pathologies. 21 children (1.67%) had hearing loss in at least one ear. 30 children (2.52%) were diagnosed with spatial processing disorder. False positive rate was 5.01%, indicating that a relatively small proportion of the children who failed the screenings were subsequently shown to have normal auditory function.

Conclusions

A game based program testing sound detection and binaural speech processing can be effective in detecting undiagnosed hearing deficits, in large format school-based hearing screenings. Prevalence of hearing abnormalities in Victorian primary school aged children were established, highlighting the value of school hearing screening programs.

Keywords:

• School hearing screening
• mobile audiometry
• tele-audiology/tele-health
• spatial processing disorder

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Correction

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the participating schools and students for their assistance throughout this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by The Department of Education and Training (Victoria).