audiology


 * Audiology test reliability in schools**

There are two types of service delivery models in telehealth: asynchronous and synchronous. Asynchronous models of service delivery store data on a computer and send it later to and audiologist, while synchronous models provide real-time information to the audiologist. A download speed of 384 kb/s is the minimum recommended for the synchronous model. An important issue when transferring information online is following HIPPA regulations. A virtual private network (VPN) with at least 128-bit encryption is necessary to keep patient’s information private. A test assistant is necessary at the test site to set up the technology and make sure patient situated appropriately. After the assistant ensures that the technology and patient are ready, the audiologist takes over control of the audiometer and the session.

In a study conducted in Utah by the University of Utah and Kent State University, 32 third grade students were given a routine hearing screening both by an audiologist in person, and through telehealth. The study discovered that examiners were in 100% agreement for [|otoscopy] and [|tympanometry]. They disagreed slightly with it came to pure tone hearing tests, though. Examiners were more likely to find false positive results for hearing loss when they were offsite than when they were onsite. Some reasons for this include using different audiometers, environmental factors outside of the telehealth professional's control, and children becoming distracted by the technology.

Another study, conducted by Dr. Mark Krumm of Kent State University, examined the [|Hearing in Noise Test (HINT)], and compared it's results between an on and off site examiner. Dr. Krumm found that results were extremely reliable and that the HINT can be administered from a distance, while still yielding accurate results. Dr. Krumm found some limitations, however, because older clients struggled with the use of technology, and his study could not be generalized to people with hearing loss (he used people with normal hearing for the study).

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