BIAP Recommendation n° 23/1

AUDIOPHONOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS

1. AUDIOLOGICAL TESTS

BIAP entrusted the technical commission 23 with the the task of drafting an inventory of audiophonologival investigations.

The object of the present recommendation (n° 23/1/1996) is to group together the various existing tests used in the screening and diagnosis of hearing pathologies at large (which affect both adults and children).

The list includes most of the tests carried out in the field of acoumetry, liminal and supraliminal pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry and objective audiometry which allow practicioners to identify and record parameters related to the functioning of hearing (impedancemetry, otoacoustic emissions, evoked response audiometry, etc)

Various aspects of each test -principle, application protocol, indications and situation within the auditory check-up- are analyzed. In addition to this, each test is defined according to certain criteria: objective pursued, age when it can be carried out, cost (taking into account the necessary investment, time and the staff's qualification level) and reliability. Finally, each test is labelled as " recommended " or " not recommended " by BIAP.

The list is available as an annex.

BIAP recommends that such tests be carried out by staff members whose training has been officially recognized.