J Audiol Otol.  2023 Oct;27(4):169-180. 10.7874/jao.2023.00388.

Improving Accuracy and Reliability of Hearing Tests: An Exploration of International Standards

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Korea
  • 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
  • 3Division of Physical Metrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, Korea
  • 4Division of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Research Institute of Audiology and Speech Pathology, College of Natural Sciences, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
  • 5Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Hallym Univesity of Graduate Studies, Seoul, Korea
  • 6Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea
  • 7Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
  • 8Healthcare Lab, Naver Corporation, Seongnam, Korea
  • 9Healthcare Lab, Naver Cloud Corporation, Seongnam, Korea
  • 10Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

This study explores the internal standards for hearing tests and benefits of implementing international standard protocols, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and discusses how ISO and IEC standards provide a framework for designing, calibrating, assessing hearing test instruments and methods, and exchanging and comparing data globally. ISO and IEC standards for hearing tests improve accuracy, reliability, and consistency of test results by applying standardized methods and environments. Moreover, they promote international harmonization and data interoperability, enabling information exchange and research collaboration. Those standards for hearing tests are beneficial but have challenges and limitations, such as variation in equipment and calibration, lag in updating standards, variation in implementation and compliance, and lack of coverage of clinical aspects, cultural diversity, and linguistic diversity. These affect the quality and interpretation of test results. Adapting ISO or IEC standards locally would improve their applicability and acceptability, while balancing customization and compatibility with global standards.

Keyword

Hearingtests; Standardization
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