Migrating in-lab testing to at-home testing: Setup and procedures

To reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, we developed an experimental setup that allows for testing of participants at their home with rigor comparable to the laboratory setting. Testing equipment included a touchscreen laptop, high-quality portable sound card, professional headphones, a hotspot USB for internet connection, and a microphone. All equipment was protected in a custom-molded case. The equipment was dropped off and picked up at the participant’s home before and after the experiment. The experimental programs were coded in Matlab and compiled into Matlab executables. During the experiment, the researcher conducted experiments on the laptop via remote control software. Simultaneous to testing, the researcher gave instructions and monitored the participant through video call. Participants were screened for normal hearing thresholds using a modified audiogram, between 0.25 and 8 kHz, with one-up, one-down procedure. Participants were next tested on dichotic vowel perception. Ambient sound level of the participant’s home was monitored during the experiment. Overall, participants reported that the procedure was easy to understand and follow. Results from remote testing will be compared with those from standard in-person booth testing to validate accuracy of remote testing. [This research was funded by NIH-NIDCD-R01-DC013307.]