Abstract
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of hearing application as an initial hearing assessment in adult, to analyse and compare between the Uhear hearing application and conventional audiometer of its usage and to make recommendation about the use the hearing application as the screening tools for the underprivileged.
Methodology: We recruited 140 patients at Hospital Ampang. Patients with otorrhea and cognitive impairment were excluded. All patients completed Uhear test in clinic and underwent standard audiogram.
Results: The mean PTA (Pure tone average) of all ears measured by the standard audiogram was 32 dB. The PTA of all ears measured by Uhear was 15 dB less compared to the standard audiogram (p<0.0001). Of the 74 ears with moderate hearing loss, (PTA>40 dB HL) documented on the audiogram, 34 had a PTA≤40 dB by Uhear testing. This translates to sensitivity of 54%. Of the 206 ears without moderate or worse hearing loss documented on the audiogram, one had moderate or worse hearing loss by Uhear testing. This translates to a specificity of 99%. Conclusion: Uhear hearing application is a conceivable screening test to rule out significant hearing loss. In Kappa analysis, it is in the ‘fair’ range in almost all frequencies. Portability and ease of use make it appropriate to use for hearing screening for the underprivileged.

Key words: Uhear, hearing application, hearing loss, audiogram.