Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Original Research
Evaluating a smartphone digits-in-noise test as part of the audiometric test battery
Submitted: 27 August 2017 | Published: 21 May 2018
About the author(s)
Jenni-Mari Potgieter, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South AfricaDe Wet Swanepoel, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Ear Science Institute Australia, Australia
Cas Smits, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Section Ear and Hearing, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, the Netherlands.
Abstract
Background: Speech-in-noise tests have become a valuable part of the audiometric test battery providing an indication of a listener’s ability to function in background noise. A simple digits-in-noise (DIN) test could be valuable to support diagnostic hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings and counselling for both paediatric and adult populations.
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the South African English smartphone DIN test’s performance as part of the audiometric test battery.
Design: This descriptive study evaluated 109 adult subjects (43 male and 66 female subjects) with and without sensorineural hearing loss by comparing pure-tone air conduction thresholds, speech recognition monaural performance scores (SRS dB) and the DIN speech reception threshold (SRT). An additional nine adult hearing aid users (four male and five female subjects) were included in a subset to determine aided and unaided DIN SRTs.
Results: The DIN SRT is strongly associated with the best ear 4 frequency pure-tone average (4FPTA) (rs = 0.81) and maximum SRS dB (r = 0.72). The DIN test had high sensitivity and specificity to identify abnormal pure-tone (0.88 and 0.88, respectively) and SRS dB (0.76 and 0.88, respectively) results. There was a mean signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement in the aided condition that demonstrated an overall benefit of 0.84 SNR dB.
Conclusion: The DIN SRT was significantly correlated with the best ear 4FPTA and maximum SRS dB. The DIN SRT provides a useful measure of speech recognition in noise that can evaluate hearing aid fittings, manage counselling and hearing expectations.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 5062Total article views: 4996
Crossref Citations
1. Exploring Age Differences in Absorption and Enjoyment during Story Listening
Signe Lund Mathiesen, Stephen C. Van Hedger, Vanessa C. Irsik, Matthew M. Bain, Ingrid S. Johnsrude, Björn Herrmann
Psychology International vol: 6 issue: 2 first page: 667 year: 2024
doi: 10.3390/psycholint6020041
2. Development and Validation of a Self-Administered Online Hearing Test
Charlotte Vercammen, Olaf Strelcyk
Trends in Hearing vol: 29 year: 2025
doi: 10.1177/23312165251317923
3. Automatic development of speech-in-noise hearing tests using machine learning
Sigrid Polspoel, David R. Moore, De Wet Swanepoel, Sophia E. Kramer, Cas Smits
Scientific Reports vol: 15 issue: 1 year: 2025
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-96312-z
4. Telerehabilitation of hearing-impaired children during COVID-19 pandemic
G.Sh. Tufatulin, I.V. Koroleva
Vestnik otorinolaringologii vol: 87 issue: 2 first page: 10 year: 2022
doi: 10.17116/otorino20228702110
5. DO CHATBOTS PROVIDE RELIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT MOBILE APPS IN AUDIOLOGY?
Małgorzata Pastucha
Journal of Hearing Science vol: 14 issue: 3 first page: 9 year: 2024
doi: 10.17430/jhs/192556
6. Development and validation of a French speech-in-noise self-test using synthetic voice in an adult population
Arnaud Génin, Jérôme Courtial, Maxime Balcon, Jean-Luc Puel, Frédéric Venail, Jean-Charles Ceccato
Frontiers in Audiology and Otology vol: 2 year: 2024
doi: 10.3389/fauot.2024.1292949
7. Remote Monitoring of Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients Using Digits-in-Noise Self-Testing
Lize van der Mescht, Talita le Roux, Faheema Mahomed-Asmail, Karina C. De Sousa, De Wet Swanepoel
American Journal of Audiology vol: 31 issue: 3S first page: 923 year: 2022
doi: 10.1044/2022_AJA-21-00248
8. The perception of artificial-intelligence (AI) based synthesized speech in younger and older adults
Björn Herrmann
International Journal of Speech Technology vol: 26 issue: 2 first page: 395 year: 2023
doi: 10.1007/s10772-023-10027-y
9. Performance of Hearing Test Software Applications to Detect Hearing Loss
Meaghan Lunney, Natasha Wiebe, Tanis Howarth, Lorienne Jenstad, Alex DeBusschere, Gillian Crysdale, Sharon Straus, Kara Schick-Makaroff, Maoliosa Donald, Stephanie Thompson, Jayna Holroyd-Leduc, Marcello Tonelli
JAMA Network Open vol: 8 issue: 3 first page: e252166 year: 2025
doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2166
10. Diagnostic Accuracy of Smartphone-Based Audiometry for Hearing Loss Detection: Meta-analysis
Chih-Hao Chen, Heng-Yu Haley Lin, Mao-Che Wang, Yuan-Chia Chu, Chun-Yu Chang, Chii-Yuan Huang, Yen-Fu Cheng
JMIR mHealth and uHealth vol: 9 issue: 9 first page: e28378 year: 2021
doi: 10.2196/28378
11. Online Arabic and English Digits-in-Noise Tests: Effects of Test Language and At-Home Testing
Adnan Shehabi, Christopher J. Plack, Garreth Prendergast, Kevin J. Munro, Michael A. Stone, Joseph Laycock, Arwa AlJasser, Hannah Guest
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research vol: 68 issue: 1 first page: 388 year: 2025
doi: 10.1044/2024_JSLHR-24-00085
12. The digit triplet test: a scoping review
Elien Van den Borre, Sam Denys, Astrid van Wieringen, Jan Wouters
International Journal of Audiology vol: 60 issue: 12 first page: 946 year: 2021
doi: 10.1080/14992027.2021.1902579
13. Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programmes for neonates, infants and children in non-Asian low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Keerthana Rajanbabu, Deepashree Joshi B, Vidya Ramkumar, Hannah Kuper, Ramya Vaidyanath
BMJ Paediatrics Open vol: 8 issue: 1 first page: e002794 year: 2024
doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002794
14. Improving the efficiency of the digit triplet test using digit scoring with variable adaptive step sizes
Sam Denys, Michael Hofmann, Astrid van Wieringen, Jan Wouters
International Journal of Audiology vol: 58 issue: 10 first page: 670 year: 2019
doi: 10.1080/14992027.2019.1622042
15. Improving the Efficiency of the Digits-in-Noise Hearing Screening Test: A Comparison Between Four Different Test Procedures
Tasneem Dambha, De Wet Swanepoel, Faheema Mahomed-Asmail, Karina C. De Sousa, Marien A. Graham, Cas Smits
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research vol: 65 issue: 1 first page: 378 year: 2022
doi: 10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00159
16. Test Your Health at Home: Comparing Online Screening Tests of Hearing, Cognition, and Cardiovascular Health
Maria V. Goodwin, Eef Hogervorst, David W. Maidment
American Journal of Audiology vol: 31 issue: 3S first page: 950 year: 2022
doi: 10.1044/2021_AJA-21-00199
17. The use of tele-audiology in ototoxicity monitoring: A scoping review
Nazeera Peerbhay, Danielle R Munsamy, Hombisa P Dlamini, Fisokuhle Langa, Jessica Paken
Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare vol: 30 issue: 3 first page: 475 year: 2024
doi: 10.1177/1357633X211068277
18. Auditory Brainstem Response Test at Different Stimulus Rates in Normal-Hearing Adults Living With HIV
Adriana De Necker, Leigh Biagio-de Jager, Anton Carel Stoltz
American Journal of Audiology vol: 29 issue: 4 first page: 873 year: 2020
doi: 10.1044/2020_AJA-19-00125