App designed to detect hearing loss developed in South Africa

The aim of the app is to help identify hearing problems early, a key factor in proper rehabilitation and mitigation of effects, but also to connect underserved populations with experts remotely. The app is called hearScreen and was developed at the University of Pretoria, Gauteng.

As part of a health policy to screen 3.5 million children for hearing loss annually in the country, new tools were needed, leading to the development of the app. “Realizing that the prohibitive costs of current test equipment and technical expertise required meant that less than 5% of children were receiving these services made me look into exploring alternative solutions,” says Nic Klopper, developer of the app. “Capitalizing on the rapid growth in smartphone technology and connectivity just made sense.”

Klopper adds that the app “provides the first smartphone-based hearing test that allows acoustic calibration of test stimuli according to prescribed national and international standards.” hearScreen has since partnered with a number of non-governmental organizations to ensure quick and efficient rollout. The app was designed specifically to enable people to test hearing accurately with minimal training. To ensure reliability, the app includes environmental noise monitoring and cloud-based data management.