Rapid Assessment of Tinnitus Complaints with a Modified Version of the Tinnitus and Hearing Survey.
LaGuinn Sherlock, Gregory Ellis, Alyssa Davidson and 1 others
PMID 38738302WHAT IT FOUND
The THS-T 40 tinnitus subscale can effectively identify military service members who need clinical referral.
Scores of 9 or higher suggest possible tinnitus problems, while scores of 15 or higher indicate definite need for evaluation. These cutoffs align with the longer TFI questionnaire.
Key findings
01The THS-T 40 is highly correlated with the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), supporting its use as a rapid screening tool.
02A THS-T 40 score of 9 or higher identifies individuals who may need referral, with 87.2% specificity and 78.2% sensitivity compared to the TFI.
03A THS-T 40 score of 15 or higher identifies individuals who definitely need referral, with 86.8% specificity and 88.2% sensitivity compared to the TFI.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study population was restricted to active-duty military service members, who may have different hearing health profiles and noise exposure histories than the general civilian population. The THS-T 40 was compared to the TFI, but the THS was originally designed for within-patient comparison rather than across-patient normative assessment, so these cutoffs represent a new application of the tool. Some participants completed a 5-point version of the survey (THS-T 16) which was mathematically converted to the 11-point scale (THS-T 40), introducing potential error, though the authors state the conversion was reliable.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was supported by the Defense Health Program, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Joint Program Committee.
The easy way to misread this
Do not apply these cutoffs directly to civilian populations without caution. The norms were derived from military service members, who have higher rates of noise exposure and tinnitus than the general public. A score of 9 in a military cohort may represent a different level of severity than in a civilian cohort.