Put simply: hearing testing matters because hearing loss matters.
Hearing loss impacts billions of people around the world. And the effects of hearing loss have wide-ranging implications: hearing loss is a known contributor to myriad other health problems and conditions (including depression and dementia); hearing loss can impact a person’s relationships with their friends, family, or coworkers, and the economic impact of hearing loss on local and global communities is far-reaching.
Hearing loss does not exist in a vacuum, and that’s why hearing testing is such an important undertaking for providers of community healthcare.
But not all hearing testing is created equal.
Traditional methods for hearing testing can be inaccessible and inaccurate. Millions of Americans live without easy, uncomplicated access to hearing testing performed by audiologists in hospitals and health centers. And PTA-based (pure-tone audiogram) hearing screening tests consistently misdiagnose two in ten patients with mild or moderate hearing loss.
Next-generation solutions for community-based hearing testing are the clear path forward when it comes to expanding access to reliable, accurate hearing testing and care. Reliable hearing tests which can be administered in low-stress, familiar environments by professionals without formal training in audiology are redefining this space, and changing the way that the world tests for hearing loss.
Below, we’ll review the impact of hearing loss on individuals and communities, and explain more about how easy, accessible hearing testing can help combat these issues.
Accessible hearing testing matters:
America has an accessibility issue when it comes to hearing testing. Audiologists are a scarce resource, and millions of people live without easy access to these professionals and the services they provide. Due to this lack of access and other factors (such as the stigma associated with hearing loss), people often wait years before seeking care.
But when community healthcare providers (even those without formal training in audiology) are able to effectively provide high-quality healthcare for patients, the needle moves and patients experience more positive outcomes.
Not only does community-based hearing testing make it easier for patients who will proactively seek care, it goes one step further and facilitates on-the-spot hearing testing, which unlocks an opportunity for providers to deliver a positive patient experience that’s not just easy and fast, it’s also less bogged down by stigma or embarrassment.
Accurate hearing testing matters:
Accessible healthcare—including hearing testing—is only as valuable as it is reliable. Transforming hearing testing into something that’s easy, fast, and uncomplicated must not come at the cost of quality.
Traditional, PTA-based hearing screening tests consistently misdiagnose two in ten patients with mild to moderate hearing loss. Given the cumulative nature of hearing loss, these missed opportunities to diagnose patients before their hearing loss becomes severe are potentially life-changing, and unacceptable as a standard or norm.
Community healthcare providers require lightweight, modern solutions which deliver hearing testing that surpasses clinical levels of accuracy, and guarantee that no patient with hearing loss is ever missed during screening. By delivering accurate, reliable hearing testing, healthcare providers can promote trust within their communities, and drive adoption of community-based hearing testing and care.
Actionable hearing testing matters:
Patients require answers, as well as advice and action. Waiting weeks (or more) for referral, diagnosis, or treatment is a difficult and frustrating experience, particularly for individuals who have proactively sought care.
In today’s increasingly technology-driven healthcare landscape, it’s solutions which offer clear, near real-time information and insight that patients not only trust, but have also come to expect. Modern solutions that offer instant results and enable healthcare providers to deliver immediate guidance (including onward referral to a specialist, or advice about OTC hearing aids) are becoming increasingly mainstream and popular with patients.
AUDIMETROID is a lightweight, purpose-built solution for accurate and reliable community-based hearing testing. It’s designed to be safely deployed in any number of environments without a professionally trained audiologist, and results (which surpass clinical levels of accuracy) are delivered almost immediately.
To learn more about the core technology behind AUDIMETROID (including what happens during a hearing test with AUDIMETROID), you can read this article or explore this web page.