How IoT Is Making Audiology Testing More Accessible

Audiology testing used to be complicated, time-consuming, and not always very accurate. Patients had to book a time and go to a clinic to spend an hour, maybe more, having an audiologist test their hearing and make recommendations. They could expect even more appointments to get fitted for hearing devices and adjust them as needed. Perhaps that is why of the 40 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, only about 10% consistently use hearing aids.

Accessibility is important, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is improving the reach and accuracy of audiology devices. By considering the benefits of using IoT in audiology testing, it is possible to see how this technology is revolutionizing the field and making better hearing accessible to larger populations.

Remote Screening

Remote screening tools allow the audiology clinic to bring the technology and the testing to the patient, wherever they are. When the clinic is more than an hour away by car, patients have to decide whether they will lose half a day or more to the appointment. 

Instead, patients can book a convenient time and use telemedicine to connect with the provider. The use of headphones or other devices can allow a technician to complete the test quickly and efficiently, with or without synchronous interaction. Once the testing is complete, the technician can process the data and reach out to the patient with results and recommendations.

Accurate Diagnostics

Increasing the verifiability of diagnostics is key to ensuring that each patient gets an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. In the past, diagnostic tools were difficult to verify and often invasive. Recent developments allow doctors to use light waves to scan a patient’s ear tissue and generate a 3D image from the data. These images can provide critical information about the conditions in the inner ear that may affect hearing, directing more accurate diagnosis and faster treatment. These tools are not yet available in clinics, but they demonstrate a path toward non-invasive testing that can resolve sudden hearing loss.

Early Testing

It is possible that the main challenge in treating hearing loss is recognizing the loss in the first place. A 2022 study of older adults with at least moderate hearing loss and those who denied having hearing loss found that more than 9 in 10 could not identify a normal hearing range, making it more difficult for them to recognize when they have hearing loss. 

IoT devices can help. Devices like Apple AirPods can provide a simple hearing test to help users determine if they can hear the tones and classify their level of hearing loss, when present. This information can help incentivize patients to request further testing, putting them on the path to effective treatment.

Consistent Monitoring

Once people have hearing aids, ensuring that they have the most effective settings can also be improved using IoT devices. Smart hearing aids make it easy for wearers to adjust settings from their smartphones. If a user consistently needs to adjust the settings to make the sounds louder, the data may show that they need to request an updated hearing screening to identify greater hearing loss or a clinic appointment to consider other treatments. This data can show the changes to medical providers, as well. As such, hearing aids can be part of an effective range of tools in audiology equipment for sale.

Improving access to audiology services is a problem that can be solved in many cases by IoT devices. By utilizing these tools, industry professionals can increase the reach of their services and ensure better outcomes for patients.

Brian Frank is the Marketing Leader at e3 Diagnostics, a company that provides audiology equipment, service, and support solutions for hearing healthcare professionals. With more than six years at e3 Diagnostics, he focuses on leveraging data, marketing technology, and multi-channel strategies to drive lead generation and revenue growth.