Questionnaire and interview in screening for hearing impairment in adults.

Conclusion: Questionnaire and brief interview played an important complementary role in the mass hearing screening.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of mass screening for hearing loss.

Subjects and methods: Review of a 9-year prospective screening (n=31 902) in a university. The screening comprised pure tone hearing screening at two frequencies (1000 Hz and 4000 Hz) and a questionnaire. Brief interview was introduced during the later 4-year period. The final diagnosis was made in the university hospital.

Results: In hearing screening tests, approximate sensitivity was 89% for 1000 Hz and 91% for 4000 Hz. Approximate specificity was 89% and 88% for 1000 Hz and 4000 Hz, respectively. Brief interview with the subjects on the spot improved the accuracy, especially in specificity. Low tone sensorineural hearing loss, exudative otitis media and chronic otitis media could be overlooked without questionnaires.