Anna Chi Shan Kam

Psychometric properties of a Chinese (Cantonese) version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire

The objective of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of a Chinese (Cantonese) version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), which is a psychometric self-report measure of perceived tinnitus-related distress. The subjects were 114 adults who attended audiology clinics with a primary or secondary complaint of tinnitus. They completed the Chinese versions of the TQ (TQ-CH), Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The subjective severity of tinnitus and tinnitus-related problems were scored using rating scales. The TQ-CH and its subscales had good internal consistency reliability estimates (α=0.75–0.94), which were comparable to those of the original version. Significant correlations were observed between the TQ-CH and psychological distress, tinnitus-related problem ratings, and severity ratings. Factor analysis showed the high construct validity of the TQ-CH subscales. High test-retest reliablity (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.96) was observed. The results suggest that the TQ-CH is a reliable and valid measure of general tinnitus-related distress that can be used in clinical settings to quantify the impact of tinnitus on daily living.

A new hearing screening system for preschool children

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the practical application of Smart Hearing, a new hearing screening system for preschool children. METHODS The screening system was applied to 6288 preschool children. The system auto-tested hearing thresholds at three frequencies: 1kHz, 2kHz, and 4kHz; a 30dB hearing level (HL) was the critical intensity for passing. Children with positive results were referred for audiological evaluation (pure tone audiometry, tympanometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions assessment, etc.). To evaluate the test accuracy, 312 children (5%) were randomly selected to receive audiology assessment. RESULTS In this study, 582 children (9.3%) tested positive in the screening, and the referral rate of the four age groups from 3 to 6 years old was 18.8%, 11.9%, 6.5% and 4.0%, respectively. A total of 463 children underwent audiological assessment, of which 12 cases (1.91‰; 95% CI: 0.83‰, 2.99‰) were diagnosed with permanent hearing loss, and 75 cases (1.19%; 95% CI: 0.92%, 1.46%) were diagnosed with temporary conductive hearing loss. No mixed hearing loss was found in this study. The specificity of the system was 92.6% and the sensitivity was only 37.5%. CONCLUSIONS This screening system is suitable for the universal hearing screening of preschool children above 4 years old, and further improvements of the system are needed to increase its sensitivity.

Clinical evaluation of a computerized self-administered hearing test

Abstract Objective: To establish the reliability and validity of a computerized self-administered hearing test. Design: Cross-sectional within a comparative study of subjects. Study sample: Subjects were 100 Chinese adults who attended the audiology clinic in a hospital for a hearing test. Results: There was no significant difference in the thresholds of unmasked air-conduction hearing obtained with the computerized self-administered hearing test via a smartphone and those obtained with standard pure-tone audiometry. High test-retest reliability was observed with the self-administered hearing test (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.95), and was comparable with that observed in standard pure-tone audiometry (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.97). The thresholds of the self-administered hearing test measured in a sound-proof booth were not significantly different from those measured in a quiet office room. Conclusions: The results suggest that the computerized self-administered hearing test is a reliable and valid measure of unmasked air-conduction hearing thresholds.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese (Cantonese) Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

Objectives:  To establish the reliablity and validity of the Chinese (Cantonese) version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory to measure the self‐perceived handicapping effect and severity of the condition in patients with chronic tinnitus.

Automated hearing screening for children: A pilot study in China

Abstract Objective: To establish the reliability and validity of an automated hearing screening test system for children. Design: Cross-sectional within a comparative study of subjects. Study sample: Subjects were 325 first-grade and second-grade children (6–10 years old) from primary schools in Shenzhen, China. Results: Using the conventional pure-tone screening test with the pass/refer criterion set as 25 dB HL, as the ʽgold standard”, the sensitivity and specificity of the automated hearing screening test was 0.63 and 0.82, respectively. No specific pattern in the failure rates was observed to relate to the students’ grade. There was no statistically significant age effect or gender effect. Conclusions: The results suggest that with further improvement in terms of its sensitivity and specificity, it may be feasible to use the automated hearing screening test system to conduct routine school hearing screenings.

Evaluation of the ClearVoice Strategy in Adults Using HiResolution Fidelity 120 Sound Processing

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the benefits of ClearVoice strategy on speech perception in noise and in everyday listening situations in Cantonese-speaking cochlear implant users. Methods Twelve experienced adult users of the Harmony implant and HiRes 120 sound processing participated in the study. The study employed a prospective within-subjects design wherein speech recognition in adults using HiRes 120 without ClearVoice turned on (control option) was compared to their performance with HiRes 120 with ClearVoice turned on. Each subject was evaluated with two different ClearVoice gain settings: -12 dB (ClearVoice medium) and -18 dB (ClearVoice high) after one-week of use. The Cantonese hearing in noise test and a questionnaire were used as the outcome measures. Results Subjects performed significantly better with ClearVoice medium than with control option in noise. No significant difference in performance was noted among the 3 settings in quiet. Most subjects reported high level of satisfaction with ClearVoice in daily listening situations and preferred to keep ClearVoice on. Conclusion ClearVoice can help cochlear implant recipients to hear better in noise.

Clinical evaluation of a fully implantable hearing device in six patients with mixed and sensorineural hearing loss: Our experience

Speech Lang. Hear. Res. 40, 1352–1357 8 Georgalas C., Sandhu G., Trosh A. et al. (2005) Cophenylcaine spray vs. placebo in flexible nasendoscopy: a prospective double-blind randomised controlled trial. Int. J. Clin. Pract. 59, 130–133 9 Cain A.J., Murray D.P. & Mc Clymont L.G. (2002) The use of topical nasal anaesthesia before flexible nasendoscopy: a doubleblind, randomized controlled trial comparing cophenylcaine with placebo. Clin. Otolaryngol. Allied Sci. 27, 485–488 10 Machin D., Campbell M.J., Fayers P.M. et al. (1997) Sample Size Tables for Clinical Studies, 2nd Edn. Blackwell Sci., Oxford, p. 7

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit

Abstract Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Abbreviated Profile of the Hearing Aid Benefit questionnaire (APHAB-CH). Design: A convenience sampling method was used to identify and recruit subjects. The subjects completed a history form seeking demographic data, the APHAB-CH, and a questionnaire seeking a subjective rating of hearing aid performance and overall satisfaction with their hearing aid. Study Sample: The subjects were 134 experienced hearing aid users. Results: The APHAB-CH had a good internal consistency reliability estimate (α = 0.85) comparable to that of the original version. Significant correlation was observed between the APHAB-CH scores and other subjective ratings for hearing aid performance and the overall satisfaction measure. A high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.84) was observed. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the APHAB-CH had a two-factor structure comprising “hearing disability” and “averviseness.” Normative data in terms of equal-percentile profiles were dervied for the APHAB-CH. Conclusion: The results suggest that the APHAB-CH is a reliable and valid measure of the outcomes of hearing aid fitting Sumario Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la validez y confiabilidad transcultural de la versión china del Cuestionario de Perfil Abreviado de Beneficios del Auxiliar Auditivo (APHAB-CH). Diseño: Se usó un método conveniente de muestreo para identificar y reclutar sujetos. Los sujetos completaron un formulario de historia para obtener datos demográficos, el APHAB-CH, y un cuestionario para encontrar los rangos subjetivos de rendimiento del auxiliar auditivo y de satisfacción general con el mismo. Muestra de Estudio: Los sujetos fueron 134 usuarios experimentados en el uso de auxiliar auditivo. Resultados: El APHAB-CH tuvo un estimado de confiabilidad con buena consistencia interna (α = 0.85) comparable con la de la versión original. Se observó una correlación significativa entre las puntuaciones del APHAB-CH con otras puntuaciones subjetivas de rendimiento del auxiliar auditivo y de mediciones de satisfacción general. Se observó una alta confiabilidad test-retest (coeficiente de correlación interno = 0.84). El análisis de factor de confirmación reveló que el APHAB-CH tuvo una estructura de dos factores que comprendía la “discapacidad auditiva” y la “aversión” Los datos normativos en términos de perfiles de igual percentil, se derivaron del APHAB-CH. Conclusion: Los resultados sugieren que el APHAB-CH es una medida válida y confiable de los resultados de la adaptación de auxiliares auditivos.

Automated hearing screening for preschool children

Objectives To establish the reliability and validity of an automated hearing screening test system for preschoolers and to investigate the risk factors for hearing loss. Methods The study used a cross-sectional design in a comparative study of subjects. The automated hearing screening test was performed in 6231 preschoolers (3–7 years old) from 41 kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Sensitivity and specificity of the automated test were investigated with subjects who failed the screening test and a group of control subjects. Results Six hundred and forty-seven children were referred for diagnostic audiological assessment after the automated pure-tone screening test. Using the conventional pure-tone audiometry as the “gold standard,” the sensitivity and specificity of the automated hearing screening test increased from 0.33 and 0.15 in the youngest age group to 0.95 and 1.00 in the oldest age group, respectively. There was no statistically significant gender effect, but there was an age effect (χ2 = 22.96, p < 0.01). In the univariate analysis of 104 cases and 201 controls, significantly elevated odds ratios (OR) for hearing loss were correlated with universal newborn hearing screening test results (OR = 28.15, p < 0.01), parental suspicion of hearing loss (OR = 10.10, p < 0.05), and attendance at preschool before the age of five (OR = 0.51, p < 0.05). Conclusions The results suggest that the automated hearing screening test system can be used in screening programmes for preschoolers aged older than five years.

Hearing-aid outcomes in Chinese adults: Clinical application and psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life questionnaire

Objective: To adapt the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life questionnaire into Chinese (the SADL-CH questionnaire) and investigate hearing-aid satisfaction in a group of adult Hong Kong Chinese fitted with free hearing aids. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Study sample: One hundred and twenty-five experienced hearing-aid users. Methods: The subjects completed a history form seeking demographic data and a questionnaire combining the SADL-CH instrument with questions seeking subjects’ subjective ratings of satisfaction with some hearing-aid features and overall satisfaction with their hearing aid. Results: The SADL-CH questionnaire had a good internal consistency reliability estimate (α = 0.79) comparable to that of the original version. SADL-CH scores were observed to have significant correlations with other satisfaction ratings on some hearing-aid features and the overall satisfaction measure. A high degree of test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.79) was observed. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the SADL-CH questionnaire had a four-factor structure. Interim norms were derived for the SADL-CH questionnaire. The level of hearing-aid satisfaction in Chinese adults was generally lower than that reported in studies conducted among Western populations. Conclusion: The SADL-CH questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring hearing-aid satisfaction.