Before getting started with your testing, you will need to access your SHOEBOX Data Management Portal in order to configure your testing workflow.
| Note: Initial, default options are pre-set by SHOEBOX based on your organization's industry. Additionally, changing these settings will apply changes to all devices in your organization. |
In this article:
- To access your testing workflow
- Questionnaire
- Hearing test options
- Automated hearing test
- Manual hearing test
- Results
To access your testing workflow
Log in to your SHOEBOX Data Management Portal.
Hover over the Settings tab in the sidebar.
Click on Testing Workflow.
On this page you can see a list of all testing workflows configured for your organization. From here you can manage all your workflows by editing, deleting, duplicating, and/or enabling/disabling them. to edit an existing workflow, simply click on its name.
The settings on this page configure the activities that subjects will experience during their testing session, and are displayed in order from start to finish, indicated by the start of workflow and end of workflow markers at the top and bottom of the page.
By default, the full PureTest workflow is Questionnaire > Pure Tone Test > Results. However, both the questionnaire and results can be disabled if they aren’t a good fit for your organization’s current testing workflow.
Questionnaire
This section allows you to either select a pre-test questionnaire that you would like your subjects to complete, or disable the questionnaire and start the testing workflow with the automated hearing test.
To disable the questionnaire, simply leave the toggle switch OFF.
To enable a questionnaire, turn the toggle switch ON and select a questionnaire from the dropdown menu.
Hearing test options
Here you can select between the standard automated hearing test and the advanced manual testing option. Each of these test types will have different configuration options.
| Note: The manual test should only be administered by certified test examiners or audiologists. |
Automated hearing test
Frequencies (Hz): Select the frequencies you would like to use for the test. The default, recommended settings are already configured for you.
| Note: Frequencies are presented from the lowest (250 Hz) to the highest (16k Hz) except if 1k Hz is present, in which case 1k Hz is presented first, then the remaining frequencies are presented from lowest to highest. |
First Frequency Retest: this feature will retest the first frequency of the hearing test (1k by default). This allows the test subject to get familiar with how the test works, and how to appropriately respond, allowing any mistakes they make on the first frequency to be retested for accuracy. This will reduce the number of incomplete tests and the need to retest any test subjects with erroneous results. The frequency that was retested will be included in the Audiogram Export CSV.
This feature is enabled by default, but can be disabled by clicking the toggle switch (pictured below). However, it is recommended to leave this feature enabled. Additionally, the first frequency retest is a requirement for OSHA compliance. If your organization is performing OSHA testing, this feature must remain enabled.
Test theme: Select how the test will be displayed to the subject.
Instructions: Allows you to enable or disable the pre-test instructions for test subjects. If enabled, the workflow will provide brief instructions for the test subject on how to complete the automated test. If disabled, these instructions will not appear in the workflow.
Volume: Allows you to set the minimum and maximum volume of the tones presented in the automated test. The default recommended settings of 0 db HL minimum and 90 db HL maximum are already configured for you.
Noise alert mode: Controls whether you’re notified when noise levels are high enough to potentially interfere with test results.
Notify Immediately will interrupt the test to notify you and will include ambient noise notation on your audiogram. This is the default setting.
Delay Notification will notify you at the end of the test. Select this option if you want to see ambient noise notation on your audiogram, but do not want the test to be interrupted.
Don’t Notify will not notify you at all, and will not print the noise alerts in the interpretation section of the test results.
Main tone type: Allows you to choose what type of tone is presented to subjects as the main test tone. You can choose between a pure tone (default), warble tone, or pulsed tone.
Auto-retest tone: Allows you to choose what type of tone is presented to subjects as the re-test tone. Auto re-test tones are presented if the test detects that a subject needs to be re-tested at a certain frequency. You can choose between a pure tone, warble tone, or pulsed tone (default).
Manual hearing test
| Note: A manual test is only available if it has been configured in the portal. |
Frequencies (Hz): The frequencies which will be available for testing during the manual test. You can configure both the available frequencies as well as specific recommended frequencies. A recommended frequency will prompt a reminder to the examiner if it is not tested.
Main tone type: Allows you to choose what type of tone is presented to subjects as the main test tone. You can choose between a pure tone (default), warble tone, or pulsed tone. The examiner can change this value during the exam.
Volume Steps: This setting controls the interval that is changed each time the examiner plays the increase/decrease volume buttons on the test interface.
Volume: Allows you to set the minimum and maximum volume of the tones the examiner will be able to present. The default recommended settings of 0 db HL minimum and 90 db HL maximum are already configured for you (for occupational hearing testing).
Default Tone Presentation Level: The starting volume when an examiner begins a new test. Typically the value you want to test first.
Results
This section controls how the test results will be presented at the end of your workflow. You can configure what will be displayed in the test results by turning the following features on or off.
Primary Identifiers: Allows you to check or uncheck which subject demographics you would like to be displayed in the results report.
Shift analysis: Analyzes whether or not a shift is present in the employee’s hearing. This feature is available online or offline. Note that the shift analysis will only be displayed if a baseline is present. Baselines are set on a subject’s individual patient page in the data management web portal.
Room scan information: Includes room scan information in the test results.
Established baseline: Displays the employee’s most recent baseline if one is available.
Hearing grade overlay: Colored shades on the audiogram indicating degrees of hearing loss.
Explanation notes: Provides the subject with a brief explanation of whether or not their hearing changed, and what their next steps should be. Each of these notes can be enabled or disabled as you prefer.
Signatures: This section allows you to enable or disable confirmation signatures at the end of the testing workflow. You can enable/disable a confirmation signature for the examiner, the subject, or both, depending on your organization’s needs. You can also customize the disclaimer presented before the signature prompt using the text fields. You can use a custom disclaimer in any of the languages supported by PureTest, but it is recommended to use reviewed translations only.