IOS-based ear scale application for clinical audiology and otology usage

Pure-tone screening (PTS) is considered the gold standard for hearing screening programs in school-age children. Mobile devices such as smartphones have the potential for audiometric testing. This study aimed to demonstrate a new approach using an IOS-based application (Ear Scale App) that can rapidly screen hearing status and provide stratified test values for each screened ear of school-age children. Sudden deafness is one of the most common acute diseases in otolaryngology. Idiopathic sudden hearing loss (ISSHL) also called sudden deafness is clinically defined as a severe sensorineural hearing loss of more than 30 dB, occurring in at least 3 contiguous frequencies in less than 3 days, sudden onset of hearing loss with unknown causes. However, patients are often unaware of or do not know that they have hearing loss, resulting in delayed diagnosis of hearing loss. At present, the patient is unable to make early diagnosis of hearing loss in his home, so he needs to go to the hospital above teaching to make a diagnosis. However, due to the complexity of the testing process, pure tone listening examination needs to be carried out by the listening personnel. As a large listening instrument and other factors, it is still difficult to popularize the listening examination. The Ear Scale App developed by Taipei Veterans General Hospital can detect latent hearing loss and have the ability to distinguish the level of hearing.