Region Uppsala has started a pilot project allowing patients to test their own hearing. Launched on May 1, it is the first of its kind in Sweden.
At the audiology clinic in Uppsala, people can now use a tablet and headphones to measure their hearing. The goal is to identify those with the greatest needs faster and shorten queues.
About one in five people in Sweden has some form of hearing loss. Half of them are still working, according to hearing and balance doctor Elsa Erixon at Uppsala University Hospital.
"Hearing affects more than you think. Those who hear poorly risk missing conversations and becoming socially isolated", says Elsa Erixon. Operations manager Agneta Nilsson Palm encourages anyone with reduced hearing to come and test.
The test is reliable but does not replace a full examination for those who need a hearing aid. People with vision impairment or difficulties with Swedish are referred to an audiologist.
