Mobile hearing care delivered by community health workers with smart devices
Official title: Mobile technologies for delivering hearing care through community health workers
Funded at Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr · NIH-11593344 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A smartphone-enabled program lets trained community health workers test hearing, fit devices, and support users in low-resource communities, aiming to improve access to hearing care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project start | August 18, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $177,645 |
| NIH project number | 3R33DC019598-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11593344 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People in low-resource communities who need hearing care and have access to a smartphone and CHW-supported services.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to smartphones or CHWs may not benefit from the smartphone-enabled model.
What this research studies
This project tests an end-to-end hearing care model that relies on community health workers and mobile technology to bring services to places with few audiology specialists. The R33 phase includes two randomized trials in South Africa to compare different fitting approaches and a WhatsApp-based acclimatization program to boost device use and confidence. It also uses machine learning to help differentiate types of hearing loss from the collected data. The work builds on earlier validation of in-situ audiometry and AI-assisted otoscopy to ensure tools work in real-world settings. If successful, the model could expand access to hearing care where traditional services are scarce.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients in underserved areas could receive accurate hearing assessments, properly fitted devices, and ongoing support without traveling far.
How similar studies have gone: Prior validation of tele-audiology tools suggests promise, with ongoing studies supporting feasibility in real-world settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr
Cincinnati, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nagaraj, Naveen K — Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Nagaraj, Naveen K
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.