A Survey of U.S. Audiologists' Usage of and Attitudes Toward Otoacoustic Emissions

Abstract

Purpose: Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) provide information on outer hair cell function and have multiple clinical applications. Two types of OAEs, transient-evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion product OAEs (DPOAEs), are currently utilized in clinical practice. However, it remains unknown how confident U.S. clinicians are in performing and interpreting TEOAEs and DPOAEs. Additionally, the extent to which U.S. audiologists incorporate OAEs for different clinical applications and populations has not been thoroughly investigated. To fill these gaps in knowledge, this study characterized the attitudes toward and usage of TEOAEs and DPOAEs in a sample of U.S. audiologists. Method: This study utilized an online survey distributed to U.S. audiologists through multiple channels from January to March 2021. A total of 214 completed surveys were included in the analysis. Results were analyzed descriptively. Associations between variables and comparisons between users of DPOAEs only and users of TEOAEs and DPOAEs were also examined. Results: DPOAEs were reportedly utilized more frequently and with greater confidence than TEOAEs. The most common clinical application of both OAE types was a cross-check. Significant associations were found between responses to DPOAE questions and the clinician's setting and patient age. There were some significant differences between users of DPOAEs only and users of TEOAEs and DPOAEs. Conclusions: Results suggest that U.S. audiologists utilize OAEs for multiple clinical purposes and that there are appreciable differences in terms of attitudes toward and usage of DPOAEs versus TEOAEs. Future work could investigate the reasons that underlie these differences to further improve clinical implementation of OAEs.