Chris Hayes 09005773 Research Presentation Audiometry 05/10/2012
What is Audiometry?? -An Audiometry exam tests your ability to hear sounds. Sounds vary based on their loudness (Intensity) & the speed of sound wave vibrations (Tone/Frequency) - Some causes of Hearing loss include: Age, Long-term exposure to environmental noise, Genetic or Disease/illness. - Hearing loss of a signifjcant degree afgects one in 12 of the adult population in Ireland & in the over 70-age group this rises to 50%. - In children 3 to 4 per thousand will experience mild to profound hearing loss, this is 3,000 to 4,500 preschool and school age children in Ireland will have a permanent hearing impairment. - Hearing loss of any degree will have a big impact on a persons life, whether it be in education in the case of younger people and the quality of life for older people.
Current Products on the Market Sound Proof Booths - Give very accurate results. - Very Expensive (Have to be re calibrated each year). - Size may be an issue for smaller rooms (i.e. Doctor Surgeries). - Tests are carried out quick and easy, no chance of outside disturbance. - Prices: Smaller booths start at €4,570.00+ with the bigger Booths starting at € 6,575.00+ - Additional door seal kits needed with some Booths (Added Cost) Sound Proof Rooms - Similar to the sound proof booths but on a bigger scale - May not be as accurate as the booths if not soundproofed correctly - Tie chance of becoming claustrophobic greatly reduced to the booths (Rooms Bigger) - Every area has to be sound proofed- Windows, Doors, Floors, Walls and Ceilings (Big Expense)
Current Products on the Market Standard Audiometers & Headphones - Audiometers available in all difgerent shapes, sizes and designs (Very Simple Design) - Headphones are used as the device to listen to the sounds. - Not Sound proof headphones! - Results never 100% Accurate. - Headphones not comfortable to wear- Constant moving of Headphones during the test. - Prices Starting as cheap as €400 for the older Audiometers. Newer Designs starting at €1500+ - Similar headphones with all audiometers.
Current Procedure Where the cycle fails
Problems with Current Products?? X Sound Proof Booths (Looking at the booths from the surgery point of view) - Tie sound proof booths are too expensive for the smaller surgeries. - Tie majority of surgeries/clinics don’t have free space for the booths. - Once it is in place and calibrated moving the booth is not an option (You can get them on wheels but moving them around is diffjcult). - Tie machine will not be used enough to justify buying it - Re-calibrated every year to ensure full use of booth X Sound Proof Rooms - Similar to the sound proof Booths but on a bigger scale. - Only really bought/installed by big hearing aid clinics. -Rooms still have to be calibrated every year and care has to be taken when adding/removing things from the room. (Risk of breaking the sound proofjng set in the room)
Problems with Current Products?? - X Audiometers & Headphones - Audiometer is not the problem. Tie listening devices used are! - Headphones project the sounds but does not cancel out the outside noise. - Additional steps taken before test can begin. - Results are never 100% accurate. - Difgerent indicator techniques used for adults & Children.
Benefjts of improvement Accurate tests in surgeries completed more ofuen School Check ups will be carried out quicker and easier Hospital Checks ups instead of sending patients to hearing clinics
Research Methods - Secondary Research (For current technology & processes) - Primary Research - Margaret Ferguson Audiologist at Fergusons Hearing Aid Clinic - Nurses and Doctor at Westbury Medical Centre, Athea - Spoke with the Public Health Nurse in Dooradoyle (About School Visits) - Mikael Fernstrom in Audio & Sound in UL - What If Approach - Observation (During hearing test)
Still To-d0 -Meeting with Audiologist Micheal Power in Barringtons Hospital. (New Hearing testing clinic afuer starting up recently). - Attend a national school with the public health nurse in Limerick or meet with her to go through the process & Equipment she uses. - Do more research into Sound proofjng Material.
Research Findings - Tie gap between the top of the range equipment (In hearing aid Clinics) and the audiomerty equipment used in surgeries and clinics outside the cities and big towns is massive. - Set up in Hearing Aid clinics: Triple glazed windows, Doors 3 times a thick, fully sound proofed rooms. - In surgeries tests are carried out in normal surgery room, used for every patient. - Lack of drive in surgeries, hearing tests important but no regular check ups. (Happier not using equipment) - No appointments given out by surgery. - In local surgery at home, on a good month only One hearing test is carried out. - Carrying out the tests in small surgeries interrupts everyone elses lives during the test. - Audiometry equipment stored on top shelf- Shows how unused it is! - Additional time spent outside of test to set up the correct environment - Test in surgeries approx. 45mins (Basics checked) - Test in hearing aid clinic 1 and a half hours (Full hearing test)
Research Findings - School visits- Close to impossible to get to every child in one day with the noise disturbance. - Headphone connection- Some have double connection & some are controlled by audiometer. - Headphones not comfortable and constant moving during test. - Some results are hand drawn on paper graph and some are printed out by machine. - Attention lost easily when outside noise is heard during test (Children) - Not all Surgeries have hearing test equipment. - All said if it wasn’t so much hassle more tests would be done. -
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