The Feasibility and Reliability of a Digits-in-Noise Test in the Clinical Follow-Up of Children With Mild to Profound Hearing Loss.
Jantien Vroegop, Marian Rodenburg-Vlot, André Goedegebure and 3 others
PMID 33577216WHAT IT FOUND
Most children with hearing loss could complete the Digits-in-Noise test during routine visits, but 15% could not finish the second list due to attention or time.
The test showed high reliability, though the current two-list procedure needs optimization for clinical use.
Key findings
01The test was feasible for most children, but 15% could not complete the recommended second list.
02Children with hearing loss required a more favorable signal-to-noise ratio than normal-hearing peers, with worse performance linked to greater hearing loss.
03The test showed high reliability between the first and second lists, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.893.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
15% of children could not complete the second test list, limiting the usability of the standard two-list protocol. The study did not report how many children could not even complete the first list. Testing occurred during routine visits, which may have affected attention and performance. The age and hearing loss distributions were uneven, which may have obscured age-related effects.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was not funded by a commercial entity.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the test is universally feasible for all pediatric patients. A significant portion (15%) failed to complete the second list, and those with worse hearing were more likely to struggle. This means the test may not provide a full picture for children with severe hearing loss or attention difficulties.