Multi-User, Reliable Hearing Protection Fit Test System with Integrated Education

Hearing is important to our physical and mental health. Within the Department of Defense (DOD), more than 200,000 service members have hearing impairment and close to 500,000 Veterans receive compensation for service-connected hearing loss. To protect personnel from hearing loss, DOD Instruction 6055.12 establishes requirements for Hearing Conservation Programs (HCPs). Under 6055.12, each DOD Component must implement an HCP that provides hearing protection devices (HPDs) to individuals exposed to hazardous noise. Furthermore, anyone who experiences a significant threshold shift is required to have their hearing protector fit reevaluated to confirm adequacy, citing use of HPD fit-test systems as best practice. In the proposed effort, Edare LLC will build on their Wireless Automated Hearing Test System (WAHTS) by adding novel fit testing algorithms designed to: (1) decrease the time it takes to verify HPD fit, and (2) incorporate personalized interactive education that will allow the system to be deployed at scale. Because the WAHTS can be used for both hearing and fit testing, it is a unique system that simplifies equipment needs and increases efficiency.