For years there have been different ways that family doctors or primary care physicians have performed hearing screenings and many of the screenings were not evidence-based and did not provide consistent results. In order to begin the process of having hearing screenings become recommended, or even mandatory, at certain ages, it was important to have a standardized approach that would create consistent results, that was reliable and evidence-based. Hearing screenings are not substitutes for audiologists. The initial results help a physician know when to make a referral for a comprehensive hearing test.
One of the first goals of the first Age-Related Hearing Loss Task Force (began in 2014) was to work with practicing physicians, researchers, public health staff and advocates to create a standardized way to offer hearing screenings. The solution needs to balance the small amount of time a doctor has with each patient, be evidence-based, offer consistent results, and be easy enough that people would be willing to adopt the screening even if it is not mandatory.
As a result of the Age-Related Hearing Loss Screening Standards Work Group, there was a consensus recommendation (2015):
Anyone who would not be able to hear the tone at 40dB would clearly benefit from a comprehensive test with an audiologist and potentially hearing aids or another assistive listening devise.
