Étude de l’impact d’un autodépistage audiométrique de l’audition, par les patients, dans les salles d’attente des médecins généralistes

Discipline

Médecine générale

Classification

Médecine et santé

Mots-clés

Audiométrie,

Dépistage,

Troubles de l'ouïe,

Médecine générale

The consequences of a hearing loss on an individual or societal scale are major. Reliable and feasible early detection by the greatest number is essential for early treatment. Currently, few patients benefit from hearing screening because the doctors who carry out the tests lack the time. In this study we evaluate the impact of free audiometric self-screening available in the waiting rooms of general practitioners. The self-screening was based on 4 sound frequencies (500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz) calibrated at 40dB. Our study concerns 110 people who tried self-testing in the waiting rooms of 3 general practitioners. The average age of the participants was 60 years old, which corresponds to the best age to benefit from a hearing screening. It revealed 40% of hearing problems in the population studied, and 3.6% were fitted following sreening. We have been able to demonstrate that increasing age, male sex, and exposure to a noisy job increase the risk of hearing loss. Moreover, the participants accepted and appreciated this experience very well. They are 92% to think that this can be generalized. The main results obtained corroborate those described in the literature, which shows the good reliability of self-testing. It proves the importance of carrying out screening accessible to as many people as possible, and that self-screening responds to this problem. Moreover, it showed a good feasibility under the same conditions.