Australia develops advanced telephone hearing test
A new version of a special hearing test developed by Australian Hearing and its research arm, the National Acoustic Laboratories, is now one of the most advanced telephone hearing tests in the world.
Australians will be able to determine whether they have a hearing loss by calling a toll free number and responding to sounds played over the telephone as part of a sophisticated, world leading service.
The Minister for Human Services, Senator Joe Ludwig, said the new telephone service, Telscreen II, which uses breakthrough technology, would make it easy for the thousands of Australians who suffer from a hearing loss to determine whether or not their loss is severe enough to seek further treatment.
Senator Ludwig said the development of a simple test that enables people to call a toll-free number and be told whether or not they need to seek further help for their hearing is of huge benefit to all Australians, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.
“We know that one in five Australians suffers from a hearing loss and that it gets worse with age.
“Being able to take a test in the privacy of your own home at anytime, from anywhere in Australia, is an example of the Australian Government responding to the needs of senior Australians and providing greater access to services for those who need it the most,” Senator Ludwig said.
People can access the service by calling 1800 826 500 toll-free and following the voice prompts.
