accuracy and pitfalls in the smartphone-based audiometry examination

Introduction: approximately 466 million people suffer from hearing loss worldwide, with indonesia ranking fourth in southeast asia. however, conventional pure-tone audiometry is not yet available in many areas because of its high cost. numerous available smartphone-based audiometry applications are potential alternative screening tools for hearing loss, especially in indonesia. this study examined the findings on the validation of smartphone-based audiometry applications to assess hearing functions available in indonesia. materials and methods: based on the established eligibility criteria, this study was conducted by browsing the relevant literature validating smartphone-based audiometry applications in indonesia. relevant study data, such as the author, year, location, implementation procedures, and outcomes, were extracted and summarized. results: this systematic review found 17 relevant and eligible publications. of the six applications tested, 5 were found to have good validity, such as uheartm, audiogram mobiletm, audcaltm, hearing testtm e-audiologia, and wuliratm. all smartphone-based audiometry was tested only for the air conduction threshold and was influenced by several factors. conclusion: because smartphone-based audiometry is inexpensive, simple, and more accessible than conventional audiometric testing, it can be useful as a screening modality or alternative approach to assess hearing function. unfortunately, smartphone-based audiometry cannot replace conventional audiometry in diagnosing hearing impairment.