Original Article

Vol. 18 No. 5 (2022): The Journal of International Advanced Otology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5152/iao.2022.21469

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Published: Sep 1, 2022
Keywords:
Hearing aid apps, hearing loss, smartphone, hearing aids, hearing disability

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Miseung Koo
Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea
Willy Nguyen
Master Sensory and Motor Neuro-prosthetics, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Jun Ho Lee
Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea
Seung-Ha Oh
Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea
Moo Kyun Park
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Behavioral Evaluation of 3 Smartphone-Based Hearing Aid Apps for Patients with Mild Hearing Loss: An Exploratory Pilot Study

Main Article Content

Miseung Koo
Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea
Willy Nguyen
Master Sensory and Motor Neuro-prosthetics, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Jun Ho Lee
Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea
Seung-Ha Oh
Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea
Moo Kyun Park
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavioral performance of a selection of currently available hearing aid apps in patients with mild hearing loss.



METHODS: We investigated 3 user-friendly hearing aid apps (EarMachine, Sound Amplifier, and Petralex) with real-ear measurement, warbletone audiometry, word recognition testing in unaided and aided conditions, and hearing-in-noise tests in quiet and noise-front conditions in a group of users with mild hearing impairment (n=7) as a pilot for a future long-term investigation. Results from the apps were compared with those of a conventional hearing aid.



RESULTS: Hearing aids showed greater gain at 1 and 3 kHz than hearing aid apps in real-ear insertion gain of real-ear measurements. Hearing aids tended to have greater gain than hearing aid apps at 2 and 3 kHz in the sound field audiometry test. The clinical performance of the listeners tended to be better when using a hearing aid and Petralex (13% and 6% improvement in word recognition score, respectively), while EarMachine and Sound Amplifier conferred limited user benefit. The hearing aid apps did not improve signal-to-noise ratio in comparison with the unaided condition in the hearing-in-noise test.



CONCLUSIONS: Some hearing aid apps were beneficial for patients with mild hearing loss in terms of amplification, but participants using the apps showed no improvements in hearing-in-noise tests.



Cite this article as: Koo M, Nguyen W, Lee JH, Oh S-H, Park MK. Behavioral evaluation of 3 smartphone-based hearing aid apps for patients with mild hearing loss: an exploratory pilot study. J Int Adv Otol. 2022;18(5):399-404.


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