mHealth OAE: Simple newborn hearing screening for Kenya using a low-cost smartphone device
Official title: mHealth OAE: Towards Universal Newborn Hearing Screening in Kenya (mTUNE)
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11397331 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A low-cost smartphone hearing test is being studied to help newborns in Kenya be screened for hearing loss early.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $314,256 |
| NIH project number | 5R33DC021643-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397331 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Newborns and young children in Kenya who would benefit from universal hearing screening.
✕Less likely to help
Some children with normal newborn hearing may not benefit from changes to screening methods.
What this research studies
This project will adapt and test a low-cost smartphone otoacoustic emissions device to screen newborns and young children in Kenya. Researchers will look at how well the device works in busy clinics, how consistent the results are, and how usable it is for frontline health workers and lay health workers. The work will compare the smartphone device to conventional screening tools and aim to deliver a practical, affordable screening option for resource-limited settings. The study focuses on implementation and real-world use in diverse clinical environments in Kenya.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could enable early detection of hearing loss in newborns in low-resource settings, supporting timely intervention.
How similar studies have gone: Previous trials in high-income settings showed the smartphone OAE can perform comparably to standard equipment, but validation in resource-limited settings is needed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Benki-Nugent, Sarah F. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Benki-Nugent, Sarah F.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.