Acoustic immittance measures and middle ear assessment: Current practice by South African audiologists.
Ben Sebothoma, Katijah Khoza-Shangase
PMID 34212745WHAT IT FOUND
Most South African audiologists used only 226 Hz tympanometry, not advanced middle ear tests, citing equipment and training gaps.
This is an audiologist practice survey, not evidence for PT, OT or SLP care.
Key findings
01Most respondents always included 226 Hz tympanometry, but only 26.7% always included 1000 Hz tympanometry.
02Advanced measures were rarely used: 82.2% never included multi-frequency and multicomponent tympanometry and 73.3% never included wideband acoustic immittance.
03The main reasons for not using advanced measures were lack of equipment and lack of training.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Only 45 audiologists responded, recruited through two professional associations and internet access, so the results may not represent all South African audiologists. The data were self-reported survey answers, and the authors note that online surveys may not reflect actual assessment practices. The study reports practice patterns, not patient outcomes, so it cannot show whether patients were harmed or helped. Dual-degree speech-language pathology and audiology graduates working primarily as speech-language pathologists were excluded, so the findings do not describe speech-language pathology practice.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that advanced middle ear testing improves patient outcomes in South Africa. This survey reported audiologists' current use and familiarity, not patient results.