A web-based listening test system for cochlear implant research and its validation for remote testing

Web-based applications are increasingly used in clinical audiology, driven by the development of mobile, remote technology and strong demand. Remote applications have large potential to increase statistical power, accessibility and diversity in research studies and to support audiology services. We aimed to bring these advantages to cochlear implant (CI) research and developed a web-based listening test system called AUDITO. By exploiting wireless streaming technology and personal mobile devices, AUDITO can be used to flexibly implement and administer a wide range of listening tests remotely or in-the-lab. The system was designed to be easy to use without software programming apart from optional stimuli pre-generation. Experimenters can exchange listening test setups and stimuli sets within the system to facilitate collaboration. Technical features were implemented to ensure signal quality over wireless streaming. A validation study with 20 experienced CI listeners was performed. Comparisons of interest included the presentation of stimuli via cable vs Bluetooth streaming, and remotely vs in-the-lab. Three listening tests were implemented to measure speech perception, digits in noise and spectro-temporal resolution. A questionnaire was administered to collect user feedback. The system worked reliably with Bluetooth-compatible setups including desktop and laptop computers, tablets and smartphones. Test results were consistent between listening modalities across tested conditions confirming the validity of web-based testing. User feedback was positive for system usability and function, while acoustic quality was not reported to be compromised via streaming. The AUDITO system facilitates data collection, enables research collaboration and can improve accessibility and inclusion in CI research.