Popular Mechanics (South Africa)
SOLUTION FOR ALL A HEARING-TEST
With disabling hearing loss on the increase globally, South African company hear X is pioneering smart hearing solutions, making this vital care accessible to everyone, everywhere.
WHAT started out as a conversation between two friends, Prof De Wet Swanepoel and Prof Herman Myburgh, who were deliberating and conceptualising the possibility of testing hearing on a smartphone, has now evolved into a company that has conducted more than
700 000 tests in 38 countries globally. Developing a solution to improve the accessibility of hearing healthcare was the idea that sparked the hearX Group.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 466 million people in the world with disabling hearing loss – that’s 6.1 per cent of the world’s population. Some 432 million
(93 per cent) of these are adults, while 34 million (seven per cent) are children. Approximately onethird of people over the age of 65 are affected by disabling hearing loss and, unless action is taken, the total number of people will only increase in years to come. According to the WHO, projections show that the number could rise to 630 million by 2030, and may reach a figure of more than 900 million in 2050.
hearX provides an entirely new way to overcome traditional barriers for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disabling hearing loss, thus making a fully managed service available. ‘Our innovative solutions are just as accurate, but faster, cheaper and easier to use than traditional methods,’ explains Reáni Fouché, head of the clinical and prevention team at hearX.
Multiple studies have shown that by detecting hearing loss early on in a child’s life and taking appropriate measures, that child won’t suffer from any deficiencies in terms of development and learning. It’s when hearing loss or ear infections go undetected, untreated and undiagnosed, that learning and life outcomes are negatively affected.
‘Conventional audiometry is expensive and presents many challenges that make access to hearing healthcare a challenge,’ adds Fouché. ‘And we wanted to change that.’
The software adjusts its testing protocol based on the age of the patient.
The hearScreen application, the first of 11 products developed by hearX, is an automated screening application that offers quick, efficient testing with built-in features such as smart noise monitoring and quality control. The hearScreen application was initially developed to overcome the demands (or challenges) faced with screening at schools.
A standardised smartphone, that’s set up according to specified protocols inside the hearX lab in Pretoria, controls the audiometric output to calibrated headphones and makes sure pure tones are played at the correct intensities across the frequency range used for hearing-loss testing. The hearScreen software then also automates the audiometric screening protocol and automatically presents the tones at varying intensities to enable minimally trained people to operate the device and perform hearing screening tests.
So, in order to test, the headphones are slipped over the ears of the patient, and the automated software takes care of presenting the tones at the required intensities and frequencies. The person who is conducting the test then indicates on the smartphone if the patient heard the tones in the left or right ear.
While the technology has been validated on users as young as three years old, it can be used on people of all ages. The software automatically adjusts its testing protocol based on the age of the patient being tested.
‘By using a machine-learning algorithm to automate the testing cycle, our diagnostic technology – also the first of its kind in the world – allows for AI-driven diagnostic hearing testing that cuts the testing time down from 20 to 30 minutes per patient to under five minutes,’ says Fouché.
The results are then uploaded to a cloud-based server called mHealth Studio Cloud, where they are safely stored in line with the data-protection regulations of the regions where hearX operates. The results can also be downloaded for supplementary data-reporting requirements, if necessary, and the system can automatically generate and send messages to patients
(or parents) on outcomes of the tests or instructions for any follow-up triage services.
Developed to be used by nonmedically qualified people, the training required is minimal. ‘The use of a smartphone device as the user interface has [also] allowed us to achieve a solution that is significantly more cost-effective than conventional means of hearing testing,’ says Fouché.
‘For hearScreen, specifically, we were able to reduce the costs of hearing screening by at least 50 per cent compared to conventional audiometry. Not only that, but we’re able to test more patients in a shorter time, giving our implementations the ability to have a large social impact.’