The Use of Telepractice to Administer Norm-Referenced Communication and Cognition Assessments in Children With Hearing Loss: A Rapid Review

Abstract

Purpose: Telepractice administration of norm-referenced assessments of communication and cognition is relatively new, and evidence to support this practice for children with hearing loss is limited. This rapid review examines the validity, reliability, feasibility, and common features of telepractice-administered norm-referenced assessments of communication and cognition for children with hearing loss to determine whether results via telepractice-administration are usable. Method: This rapid review was conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration Rapid Reviews Methods Group recommendations. Rayyan software was used for initial and full-text screening, and the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies was used to measure study quality. Results: Electronic databases searches identified two studies that met the eligibility criteria. The findings of this rapid review provide some evidence to indicate that results of norm-referenced assessments do not differ depending on test administration conditions or hearing group status. Although both studies were of sufficient quality, replicability of these studies is uncertain due to the limited description of telepractice administration procedures. Participants indicated that sound levels provided by inbuilt computer speakers were adequate for them to be able to participate in telepractice assessment. Conclusion: Telepractice administration of the norm-referenced assessments in the included studies may be valid, reliable, and feasible; however, the generalizability of these findings to other norm-referenced assessments is uncertain due to the limited amount of research.