I would say one of the most common questions we hear is, “how do you do a hearing test without a sound-proof booth?”.
While our common perception of a hearing test is conducted in a sound-proof booth, it is unnecessary. It’s ironic how many times I have tested people in the booth, and they would say, “but this isn’t real-world testing.”
We have the equipment and technology to offer accurate testing without the booth, as long as we have a quiet environment.
Below is an extraction from a recent journal by The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), which investigates a study of Thinking Outside The Booth.
Eliminating the need for a booth increases flexibility in offering services. It also boosts consumers’ access and convenience in obtaining them.
However, the biggest challenge in conducting a booth-less hearing test has always been interference from background noise, resulting in inaccurate hearing thresholds. Researchers have actually conducted multiple tests using a variety of earphones, headphones, etc.
One study found that ER-3A insert earphones, with fully inserted ER-14 ear tips allow (in most instances) for accurate hearing threshold measurement down to a hearing level (HL) of 0 dB, over the frequency range from 125 to 8000 Hz, for background noise levels of less than 45 dBA.
ER-3A earphones, with properly inserted ER-14 ear tips, provide a 30- to 40-dB reduction in background noise. This permits testing to audiometric zero in typical office noise environments.
Albert Einstein said, “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” Expanding our current hearing health care delivery model “outside the booth” will result in increased access to hearing health care, earlier identification, treatment, and mitigation of hearing loss, reduced impact from the comorbid effects of hearing impairment, and better overall patient outcomes.
This is a direct citation of Thinking Outside The Booth (Tuten et al, 2020).
If you or a loved one is considering a hearing assessment at home and would like to find out more about what this entails – please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team today.
Audiology On Call makes it easier and more convenient to add regular hearing assessments to your proactive health regimen by sending our mobile hearing professionals to your home.
To schedule a comprehensive hearing assessment, fill out the form on this page, or call us at (833) 244-3275.
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