Hearing Vital Signs: Mobile Audiometry in the Emergency Department for Evaluation of Sudden Hearing Loss

Emergency departments (EDs) are a common location for patients to present with sudden hearing loss (SHL). Unfortunately, high‐quality, rapid quantitative measurement of hearing loss is challenging. Herein, we aim to evaluate the accuracy of tablet‐based audiometry in patients complaining of SHL. Prospective tablet‐based testing was completed in the ED in patients complaining of SHL. Air conduction thresholds (ACTs) obtained via tablet‐based audiometry were compared to same‐day measurements with a clinical‐grade audiometer. Hearing loss (HL) was defined as >20 dB ACT for any frequency. In participant‐level analysis, 30+ dB HL in 3 consecutive frequencies was used to define SHL. In the ED, mobile audiogram ACTs were within 5 dB (77%) and 10 dB (89.6%) of those determined by conventional audiometry. The sensitivity and specificity for mobile audiometry to detect 3 or more consecutive thresholds with 30+ dB HL were 100% and 62.5%, respectively. Findings have implications for increasing access to high‐quality audiometry.