A Comparative usability study of a commercially acquired and a locally developed prototype of a newborn hearing screening device

Abstract

With present laws requiring all newborns in the Philippines to be screened for hearing loss, an affordable biomedical device is being developed locally to increase the rates of newborn hearing screening that will lead to possible early treatment. The main objective of this study was to determine whether the hearing screening device prototype was usable for a Filipino screener. The study was executed through user testing of the prototype and a commercially acquired hearing screening device, followed by post-test interviews of the participants. The effectiveness and satisfaction of the users between the two devices were compared. Findings of the study suggested that several modifications must be made on the current design of the prototype to improve its the usability.