Common hearing assessments often overlook key aspects of hearing loss and its impact on daily-life. This study evaluates a broad dataset of audiological and functional measures by applying the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Core Sets for Hearing Loss....
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Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Current perceptual hearing loss assessment datasets may not fully capture ICF-defined functional and participation domains — audiologists should consider supplementing standard evaluations with patient-reported outcome measures addressing daily-life functioning.
Aligning hearing assessments with the ICF framework could drive more holistic, person-centred audiology practice and highlight where current clinical tools leave patients' real-world needs unmeasured.
- 01The study benchmarks a perceptual hearing loss assessment dataset against ICF Core Sets for Hearing Loss.
- 02Gaps were identified between what standard audiological assessments capture and what the ICF deems functionally important.
- 03Findings suggest current tools may underrepresent participation and environmental factors relevant to patients.
- 04Published in Advances in Rehabilitation Science and Practice (doi:10.1177/27536351261471149).
- 05Implications apply to audiologists, rehabilitation specialists, and assessment tool developers.
Standard perceptual hearing loss assessment datasets do not fully cover the domains represented in the ICF Core Sets for Hearing Loss.
studypartially supportedThere are gaps in standard audiological evaluations relative to daily-life functioning as defined by the ICF.
studysupported- PMID
- 42564600
- DOI
- 10.1177/27536351261471149.
- Journal
- Advances in Rehabilitation Science and Practice
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Adults with hearing loss evaluated using perceptual assessment datasets
- Intervention
- Perceptual hearing loss assessment dataset
- Comparator
- ICF Core Sets for Hearing Loss
Primary outcomes
Degree of overlap between assessment dataset domains and ICF Core Set categories; Identification of functional and participation gaps in standard audiological assessments