Differential Analysis of Acoustical Smartphone Recording Capabilities - a Contribution towards Smartphone-modulated Perception of Tinnitus

Loud noise is a common risk factor for physical and mental health in our industrialized world, which can trigger different sorts of health issues like permanent hearing loss and tinnitus. To mitigate noise-induced problems in daily life, smartphones can be used as an easy way to observe noise levels. As recording quality differs depending on smartphone models and calibration techniques, standardized methods are needed to acquire comparable results. To examine such possibilities in more detail, several acoustical experiments were performed regarding the recording capabilities of in-build smartphone microphones compared to an external microphone to figure out optimal smartphone recording conditions as this further increases measurement accuracy. Additionally, various different calibration approaches differing in effort and accuracy are evaluated. Results show that smartphones are capable of measuring sound pressure levels accurately with only small deviations of about +-3 dB(A). Moreover, smartphone microphones are heavily frequency dependent, which is why an approach was presented to normalize for these variations. Gathered calibration data was further brought in conjunction with sound perception data of tinnitus probands, to show an application in health issues. The presented methods provide a straightforward approach to measure sound levels with a smartphone and compare them to other device conditions, opening the use of smartphones in the modulation of sound perception in tinnitus and other conditions

Smartphone Apps in the Context of Tinnitus: Systematic Review

Smartphones containing sophisticated high-end hardware and offering high computational capabilities at extremely manageable costs have become mainstream and an integral part of users' lives. Widespread adoption of smartphone devices has encouraged the development of many smartphone applications, resulting in a well-established ecosystem, which is easily discoverable and accessible via respective marketplaces of differing mobile platforms. These smartphone applications are no longer exclusively limited to entertainment purposes but are increasingly established in the scientific and medical field. In the context of tinnitus, the ringing in the ear, these smartphone apps range from relief, management, self-help, all the way to interfacing external sensors to better understand the phenomenon. In this paper, we aim to bring forth the smartphone applications in and around tinnitus. Based on the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically analyze and investigate the current state of smartphone apps, that are directly applied in the context of tinnitus. In particular, we explore Google Scholar, CiteSeerX, Microsoft Academics, Semantic Scholar for the identification of scientific contributions. Additionally, we search and explore Google’s Play and Apple's App Stores to identify relevant smartphone apps and their respective properties. This review work gives (1) an up-to-date overview of existing apps, and (2) lists and discusses scientific literature pertaining to the smartphone apps used within the context of tinnitus

Hearing Aids

This chapter presents an overview of the current state of a hearing aid tracing back through the history. The hearing aid, which was just a sound collector in the sixteenth century, has continued to develop until the current digital hearing aid for realizing the downsizing and digital signal processing, and this is the age of implanted hearing devices. However, currently popular implanted hearing devices are a fairly large burden for people soon after they become aware of their hearing loss, although auditory stimulation to the nerve in the early stage can avoid accelerated cognitive decline and an increased risk of incident all-cause dementia. For this reason, we tend to stick to wearable hearing aids that are easy to be put on and take off. Although the digital hearing aid has already reached the technical ceiling, the noninvasive hearing aids have some severe problems that are yet to be resolved. In the second half of this chapter, we discuss the scientific and technical solutions to broaden the range of permissible users of hearing aids

A MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS OF HEAR-A MOBILE HEARING SCREENING APPLICATION

Presented here are the results of a series of three studies focused on the need, validation, and improvement of hEAR, a mobile hearing screening application. The first study was a systematic review of 37 peer-reviewed studies to assess the efficacy of different types of audiology mHealth interventions, especially in high-risk populations. Four main modes of technology used to deliver the mHealth intervention were identified, out of which remote computing was found to be most effective. Smartphone applications were found to be as efficacious, but the results were dependent on the population characteristics. The study resulted in demonstrating the need for hEAR in high risk populations. The purpose of the second study was to validate headphone hardware for use with hEAR, when compared to a pure tone audiometric test. Both hEAR and the audiologist’s test used 7 frequencies (independent variable), 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz, and the recorded measurements were sound pressure levels (dependent variable) measured in decibels. Participants (30) from Texas A&M University were recruited based on a screener, and were randomly assigned and counterbalanced to one of two groups, differing in the order the hEAR tests and the audiologist’s test were administered. Data were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation model at α=0.05, which showed that Pioneer headphones, were comparably similar to the audiologist’s test at all frequencies. The third study was a multi-method assessment of hEAR based on user-centered design principles. Six nurses and thirty students from the Bryan Independent School District were recruited and the assessments were conducted at the participants’ schools. Nurses used hEAR to screen their students, after which the nurses filled out two questionnaires: The System Usability Scale and the After-Scenario Questionnaire. The time taken to complete the tasks, as well as the number of errors committed were also observed. The nurses participated in individual in-depth interviews. The result of the assessments revealed 8 problems that the nurses encountered during their use of hEAR, which were then grouped into 4 usability themes to derive user-centered design recommendations for similar mHealth applications

A MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS OF HEAR-A MOBILE HEARING SCREENING APPLICATION

Presented here are the results of a series of three studies focused on the need, validation, and improvement of hEAR, a mobile hearing screening application. The first study was a systematic review of 37 peer-reviewed studies to assess the efficacy of different types of audiology mHealth interventions, especially in high-risk populations. Four main modes of technology used to deliver the mHealth intervention were identified, out of which remote computing was found to be most effective. Smartphone applications were found to be as efficacious, but the results were dependent on the population characteristics. The study resulted in demonstrating the need for hEAR in high risk populations. The purpose of the second study was to validate headphone hardware for use with hEAR, when compared to a pure tone audiometric test. Both hEAR and the audiologist’s test used 7 frequencies (independent variable), 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz, and the recorded measurements were sound pressure levels (dependent variable) measured in decibels. Participants (30) from Texas A&M University were recruited based on a screener, and were randomly assigned and counterbalanced to one of two groups, differing in the order the hEAR tests and the audiologist’s test were administered. Data were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation model at α=0.05, which showed that Pioneer headphones, were comparably similar to the audiologist’s test at all frequencies. The third study was a multi-method assessment of hEAR based on user-centered design principles. Six nurses and thirty students from the Bryan Independent School District were recruited and the assessments were conducted at the participants’ schools. Nurses used hEAR to screen their students, after which the nurses filled out two questionnaires: The System Usability Scale and the After-Scenario Questionnaire. The time taken to complete the tasks, as well as the number of errors committed were also observed. The nurses participated in individual in-depth interviews. The result of the assessments revealed 8 problems that the nurses encountered during their use of hEAR, which were then grouped into 4 usability themes to derive user-centered design recommendations for similar mHealth applications

Reviews of Applications for Smartphone-Connected Hearing Aids and Implications on Counseling

With the recent rise of smartphone ownership, more applications have been created that connect user’s hearing aids to their smartphone. One type of application that has become popular is one that allows the user to control hearing aids using a smartphone. While these applications have many benefits for the user, there has been very little research on the experiences of individuals using these applications. In order for audiologists to best help their patients troubleshoot and prepare reasonable expectations for using smartphone-connected hearing aids, they need to understand the patient experience to create effective solutions. One technique that can be used to assess the end-user experience is to examine reviews created by consumers on the Google Play Store. The posted comments can help manufacturers better understand concerns or suggestions to improve the experience. By analyzing user experiences, counseling best-practices for hearing aid applications can be proposed. Web scraping techniques were used to review hearing aid smartphone applications using the Android operating system. The data were then coded based on themes that emerged from the analysis, which was subsequently used to determine the areas in which users were struggling. Results revealed that a majority of users reported connectivity issues, app malfunctions, general positive aspects of the applications, a lack of features, and general negative aspects of the applications. Responses were similar across applications and across the different connectivity methods for Made for Android hearing aids and Made for iPhone hearing aids

Android security: analysis and applications

The Android mobile system is home to millions of apps that offer a wide range of functionalities. Users rely on Android apps in various facets of daily life, including critical, e.g., medical, settings. Generally, users trust that apps perform their stated purpose safely and accurately. However, despite the platform’s efforts to maintain a safe environment, apps routinely manage to evade scrutiny. This dissertation analyzes Android app behavior and has revealed several weakness: lapses in device authentication schemes, deceptive practices such as apps covering their traces, as well as behavioral and descriptive inaccuracies in medical apps. Examining a large corpus of applications has revealed that suspicious behavior is often the result of lax oversight, and can occur without an explicit intent to harm users. Nevertheless, flawed app behavior is present, and is especially problematic in apps that perform critical tasks. Additionally, manufacturer’s and app developer’s claims often do not mirror actual functionalities, e.g., as we reveal in our study of LG’s Knock Code authentication scheme, and as evidenced by the removal of Google Play medical apps due to overstated functionality claims. This dissertation makes the following contributions: (1) quantifying the security of LG’s Knock Code authentication method, (2) defining deceptive practices of self-hiding app behavior found in popular apps, (3) verifying abuses of device administrator features, (4) characterizing the medical app landscape found on Google Play, (5) detailing the claimed behaviors and conditions of medical apps using ICD codes and app descriptions, (6) verifying errors in medical score calculator app implementations, and (7) discerning how medical apps should be regulated within the jurisdiction of regulatory frameworks based on their behavior and data acquired from users

Exploring the Potential of Hearing Screening Smartphone Applications to Enhance Access to Hearing Healthcare: A Literature Review

In 2016, the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) published a landmark consensus report with several recommendations to enhance the availability and affordability of hearing healthcare in the United States. Among the most notable of the recommendations was the creation of a new category of FDA-approved Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids. Unlike the traditional hearing aid model, which requires a comprehensive hearing test by a hearing health professional prior to purchase, OTC hearing aids would be directly available for sale to any American adult with a self-perceived mild-to-moderate degree of hearing loss. This proposal has now become reality with the passage of the OTC Hearing Aid Act of 2017 and the release of the first OTC hearing aids in October 2022. The availability of OTC hearing aids, however, raises several questions, including how can individuals accurately self-perceive and self-assess a mild-to-moderate degree of hearing loss. Previously, this was a clinical diagnosis made by licensed hearing professionals using a comprehensive hearing examination in a healthcare setting. Given the emergence of OTC hearing aids meant for those with self-perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss, the ability to self-assess the degree of hearing loss is more critical than ever. While a variety of potential solutions have been put forward, one potential solution this paper seeks to investigate is the use of smartphone applications that claim to assess hearing sensitivity. Health-related smartphone applications are increasingly used by the public for monitoring and managing their health, and hearing health applications are no exception. The OTC Hearing Aid Act may increase interest among the general public to use self-administered hearing screening smartphone applications (HSSAs) to assess their hearing status now that a professionally performed hearing test in not required prior to obtaining OTC hearing aids. In conversation with the goals of the NAS report, my paper seeks to (1) investigate the potentials and limitations of HSSAs available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to enhance accessibility to hearing healthcare, and (2) develop an educational resource for a validated application to guide users on its correct usage

Protocol for the Provision of Amplification v 2023.01

This Protocol addresses the provision of amplification (hereafter: \u27Amplification\u27) to infants and children who are receiving services from the Ontario Infant Hearing Program (IHP). For the purposes of this protocol, providing amplification includes the processes of prescribing a hearing aid (air or bone conduction) and/or other hearing assistance technologies based on appropriate assessment information, verification that the specified acoustical performance targets have been achieved, fitting the device on the child, and ongoing evaluation of device effectiveness in daily life. Amplification within the IHP does not include the provision of cochlear implants