WAHTS is the first and only boothless system that provides a test administrator a live-view for monitoring individuals as they progress through the test—a feature that had been essential traditional multi-person booth testing.
Annual hearing tests are often conducted in multi-person soundproofed booths. With COVID-19, however, social distancing and cleaning requirements significantly reduced testing capacity. In response, hearing conservation programs have turned to boothless audiometry to augment and increase their testing capacity. The implementation of boothless audiometry has been successful and the adoption of boothless audiometry is expected to continue increasing even after the pandemic.1 In April 2021, the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) released a statement on emerging technology and science in support of the use of technological advances that promote hearing conservation. The statement urges regulators to revise policy and statutory requirements concurrent with emerging scientific evidence and advancing technology, such as boothless audiometry systems, like the wireless automated hearing test system (WAHTS). Researchers agree that boothless audiometry can result in improved access to care, early identification and treatment of hearing loss, and reduced impact from the comorbid effects of hearing impairment.
Boothless systems make it is possible to test in non-traditional locations, such as a conference room or an occupational exam room. The WAHTS, for instance, has been used to successfully test up to ten people simultaneously while enabling adherence to all COVID-19 protocols and guidelines. When coupled with a new app designed specifically for occupational group testing, known as audhere, WAHTS is the first and only boothless system that provides a test administrator a live-view for monitoring individuals as they progress through the test—a feature that had been essential traditional multi-person booth testing. Testing with audhere and WAHTS makes it easy to efficiently conduct group testing.
1Gates K, Hecht Q, Grantham M, Fallon A, Martukovich M. (2021). Hearing Health Care Delivery Outside of the Booth. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_PERSP-20-00264
- Publication:
- Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups
- Authors:
- Gates K, Hecht Q, Grantham M, Fallon A, Martukovich M.
- Date:
- 2021