Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
5 years ago

Simple Tests Compare Well with a Hand-held Audiometer for Hearing Loss Screening in Primary Care

William J. Strawbridge, Margaret I. Wallhagen
Objectives To compare hearing loss screening results of four simple tests with those of hand-held audiometry. Design Cross-sectional study of individuals screened during intake for physicals and other routine procedures. Setting Two primary care clinics in the San Francisco Bay area. Participants Older adults not wearing hearing aids (N = 125, mean age 72.9, 63% female). Measurements Direct question about hearing loss, indirect question, finger-rub test, whisper test, and audiometric results using a hand-held audiometer. Results Sensitivity was 91% for the finger-rub test compared with 89% for the direct question, 85% for the indirect question, and 79% for the whisper test. For specificity, the whisper test was highest, followed by the finger rub, indirect, and direct. Conclusion Simple screening procedures can be used to identify older adults with hearing loss in primary care and facilitate early referral for additional testing and treatment.

Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi

DOI: 10.1111/jgs.15044

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