"The screening battery has helped to identify patients with a potential hearing loss, who were then referred to the appropriate providers for further evaluation," said Esquivel. Carlos Esquivel, HCE's acting division chief, reports that early data has demonstrated boothless audiometry can be successfully incorporated into different clinical settings.
While the project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. To address this concern, HCE and the Diabetes Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, are conducting a quality improvement project that incorporates hearing loss screening at DCOE using boothless audiometry during routine clinic appointments for patients with diabetes. Schulz emphasized boothless audiometry can help to bridge this gap, and increase access to hearing health care services.įor providers who treat patients with diabetes mellitus, the boothless system is showing promise as a way to early identify hearing loss, which is twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those without the condition, according to a National Institutes of Health study. Of more than 425 DOD military hospitals and clinics only 102 of them have audiology services, leaving beneficiaries at the other 323 to rely on their local TRICARE service providers for their hearing services. Moreover, early identification of hearing loss for service members is a readiness item of interest, according to the DOD. It can help identify significant hearing loss early, supporting timelier referral for comprehensive audiological services to treat and prevent additional hearing loss."īy providing hearing health services during primary care patient encounters, Schulz noted it is possible to increase patient-provider satisfaction and improve treatment outcomes in general. "It can be used to conduct hearing screenings and diagnostic audiometry in military deployed environments, as well as pharmacy waiting areas, in-patient care settings, and primary care clinics that don't typically have sound booth facilities.
"Boothless audiometry enables audiologists to conduct hearing tests without a traditional sound booth," said Schulz. Point of injury hearing care can help to facilitate immediate treatment and appropriate triage of service members who require more comprehensive hearing care, Schulz explained. As a result, it is now being considered for implementation in multiple settings, such as point-of-injury care in remote locations and military operational environments.Īccording to Schulz, a combat medic trained to use boothless audiometry can deliver hearing care at the lowest level of care (point of injury) to the highest (advanced trauma) within the military deployed theater of operations. Theresa Schulz, HCE's prevention and surveillance branch chief, explained that the military services are pilot-testing boothless audiometry in a variety of remote environments to determine future viability of the technology.Īs part of a proof of concept effort, the Army recently deployed an active-duty audiologist overseas with boothless technology, yielding excellent results, according to Schulz.
#HEARING TEST ARMY SOFTWARE#
The Wireless Automated Hearing Test System, or WAHTS, consists of a headset, a computer tablet or laptop with custom hearing-related software and an integrated dosimeter.ĭr. HCE is a division of the DHA Research and Development Directorate. Army Medical Research and Development Command and the Army Public Health Center. Douglas Brungart, from the National Military Audiology and Speech Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and conducted in collaboration with the U.S. The initial prototype project, called the Integrated Platform for Clinical Assessment and Monitoring, is the result of a Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence research effort, led by Dr. The aptly dubbed "boothless" technology can take audiometry out of the traditional sound booth to meet service members where hearing injuries are most likely to occur.
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