audiological profile
A comprehensive summary of an individual's hearing abilities derived from a battery of audiological tests, used to guide diagnosis, device fitting, and rehabilitation planning.
Full Definition
An audiological profile integrates results from multiple assessments — including pure-tone audiometry, speech recognition testing, immittance measures, and sometimes electrophysiology — into a coherent picture of a patient's auditory function. It forms the clinical foundation for hearing aid prescription, cochlear implant candidacy evaluation, and monitoring of progressive conditions. In written reports, editors should ensure consistency between narrative summaries and tabular data; discrepancies between stated degrees of loss and plotted audiometric thresholds are a common editorial error in this document type.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from 'audiogram', which is a single graphical record of pure-tone thresholds. An audiological profile is a broader, narrative-inclusive concept. Ensure numerical data in the profile match corresponding audiograms.
In Context
- "The audiological profile indicated a moderate, flat sensorineural hearing loss with poor speech discrimination in noise." — Hearing aid candidacy report
- "A complete audiological profile, including objective and subjective measures, was compiled prior to the multidisciplinary team review." — Paediatric CI team documentation