I have used the AuDX screener for many years. The pros: 1. Not complicated-easy to use 2. Foam tips allow for a "one size fits most" which makes it very user friendly 3. The results are printed out on a label that you can peel and stick to documentation 4. If the battery gets low, you can screen while it is charging. The cons: 1. Cords, cords, and more cords 2. No battery indicator that shows how much charge is left 3. Repair cost of probe assembly is expensive (most common repair) 4. Carrying case that houses screener and printer is large and cumbersome.

Some opt not to purchase a printer, but I encourage people to purchase and use! I think that it gives validity to the screening and doctors are more apt to try and interpret what the screening evaluated.

I also have purchased and used the new version of the Maico ERO-Scan (2014). I am not crazy about it. The tips are silicone and come in many sizes so the learning curve is a bit longer. The cost of the tips is less than the foam tips, but if you have to try 2-3 different sizes to get a good screen, you just spent as much as you would on a foam tip. For the screening to begin, the initial display shows the word 'Noise' and a bar indicating the amount of noise it is picking up and 'Volume' with a bar which indicates ear canal volume. Where the bars need to be for the screening to proceed was not obvious. If the probe is not positioned properly, the screening never begins. The size and portability is great and the cordless printer is a big plus too.

The new WelchAllyn OAE is very similar to the ERO-Scan, but easier to use. It is a little pricier, but worth it in the end.

I currently am using the GSI Corti in my very busy pediatric audiology clinic. I have the screening and the diagnostic module. As an audiologist that has been doing this for many years and have used many types of OAE equipment, I feel as if I can say this has worked great for my population better than any I have used. I primarily see children under the age of 5 of which likely 75% are under 3. I find this equipment and its technology conducive to screening little ones that are constantly on the move. I can typically record the OAE quickly and get a reliable result even with a little one that is noisy. I have taken it out to daycares and Early Headstarts and had great success. It is also very portable and simple to use. Oklahoma has the GSI Corti (screening module only) in our county health departments for families to have access to screenings close to home and our SLPs and nurses are performing these screenings and they report similar results and love the Corti.

I primarily use both the Audx and the Otocheck Otodynamics OAE screeners. Both work well, provide information about probe fit without being overly sensitive, and the time it takes to screen is realistic when working with young children.

Our state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program has been using and providing the AuDx units to community partners for many years. Our program audiologists find the AuDx to be very user friendly and very tolerant to noise levels both in the environment and from the child. We have recommended or provided these units to our home birth midwives, hospitals, early head start programs and pediatric primary care partners. Each of our partners have found the AuDx to be user friendly and able to screen newborns as well as young children prior to being old enough to do head phone testing. Our EHDI audiologists also use the AuDx when conducting screenings in the community.

We provided the Otocheck to our Part C Points of Entry (POE's) as it fit within the funding we had available and the reviews were positive. Since then, many POE's have purchased their own machines to supplement those provided. Many have purchased AudX machines and each POE that have both machines have indicated that the AudX machine performs better than the Otocheck, without fail. The sensitivity to noise that the Otocheck has makes it difficult to use in less than optimal environments where the AudX performs well in most all environments.

We are an early intervention Part C program (B-3) that has been screening hearing in mostly home settings with DPOAEs since 2006. Our screeners are non-audiologists (evaluators and Service Coordinators)who have picked up on the screening procedures quickly and do a great job! We have been using the AuDX screeners since 2006 and currently have 12 units that are transported almost daily throughout a 6 county region. The AuDXs have worked great with a minimum of repair issues over the years (although they are expensive to repair if there is a problem!). We recently purchased the Madsen Alpha with the video screen in an effort to better engage our young population since we have a fair number of uncooperative children using the AuDX. We are very pleased with the Alpha! We have better cooperation from the children and it is so easy to operate. We only wish that the video started immediately instead of having to wait for the calibration portion to finish. We anticipate that we will order more Alphas as funding allows...it's really ideal for our B-3 population!

Programs in our state have used the Natus AudX for years with very good success. These OAE units have proved to be reliable and sturdy in early childhood settings, and the foam tips make it relatively easy to achieve a good fit with children of varying ages.

Another advantage: If you've forgotten to charge up the unit and the battery is low, you can use it while plugged in.

Disadvantages: It's slightly large and cumbersome to manage if screening children alone; however, that's not a deal breaker. The probe is fragile and must be handled with care, including covering it when stored.

One of our large Early Head Start/Head Start programs recently purchased the new (as of Summer 2014) Maico Ero-Scan. The program ordered quite a few units and have used them to do hearing screenings of fewer than 100 children since last fall.

Features we like: This unit is compact and has only one cord attached while you're screening children. We like the visual reports that are shown on the unit's screen, including graphs that resemble audiograms and show background noise levels. The cost of the unit and the tips is less than some other equipment models.

Features we're not as crazy about: This equipment uses rubber/silicone probe covers rather than foam tips, and fit affects screening results. We're still working to get the hang of selecting the right size tip.

Features of concern: We've had some varying "pass/refer" results as we practice on adults and screen children, and we don't know why. We're questioning the reliability of the equipment. We'll post a review update once we have several more months experience.

Since 2007, our nonprofit organization has been using the Ero-Scan OAE and each year we screen nearly 1,000 infant through preschool-age children with it. Our health screeners have found it very easy to use as well as being reliable. The settings are simple and only three buttons are needed to operate it. The Ero-Scan can remain in the cradle while the screening is being done, which allows the screeners to help prevent curious little hands from tugging on the probe cord and the children love to help us watch for the "blocks" to appear on the screen.

As a small nonprofit, we pride ourselves on efficiency and keeping costs low and the Ero-Scan is not only efficient, but the availability of rubber ear tips makes this a very cost-effective screening tool for us. Ninety-five percent of the children we screen use one of two sizes of ear tips and it was apparent very quickly which sizes those were. We have very little excess waste from trying to determine which size ear tip to use. The portability, durability and cost effectiveness of the Ero-Scan OAE makes it an ideal choice for us. Our staff has become very dependent on the Ero-Scan and we can't imagine screening without it.

Our program has been using OAE machines for the past 5 years. Initally we were using the Euroscan, then became familiar with the Audx. We trained home base visitors and health staff to use both machines. After using both machines all staff prefered the simplicity of the Audx. I compare using the Audx to taking a temperature in the ear, turn on the machine place the tip in the ear and start the machine.

Our EHS program enrollment is 134 children. Prior to OAE we used a subjective questionnaire and identified very few children needing medical care. After 6 months of using the OAE we identified 12 children who needed medical treatment.

Our Early Head Start program has been using the AuDx hearing screening equipment for approximately 8 years. I have been extremely satisfied with the screening reliablity of the machine. The AuDx machine is very easy to use and the training material is simple to understand which is helpful when training new screeners. I have never had a problem with the equipment. When the screen reads to refer I feel confident additional evaluating is necessary.

I have used the "AuDx" brand of OAE equipment for around eight years and have been VERY pleased with it. It has been my work horse that I use for about 500 screenings a year. I complete all of my Early Head Start screenings with it and have used it for regular Head Start children who I was unable to screen with an audiometer. I've also tried the Oto-check and the Ero-scan OAE equipment, but have found the AuDx to be as good as any machine feature by feature, and better in many ways.

• Benefits:
  1. User friendly—Basically, only two buttons are used, and it turns itself off after a few minutes of inactivity.
  2. Durable- It was made to be used out of a clinical environment in classrooms, homes, etc. This is advantageous when doing Head Start screenings, as not all machines are engineered to do so.
  3. Foam Tips- My favorite aspect of the AuDx machine is that it is the only one that has foam probe tip covers. When performing a hearing screening a good probe fit, and low noise makes for a quick, easy, and pleasant experience (for you and the child). I prefer the foam tip because it:
     • Makes for a good snug fit. The foam expands in the ear canal and stays in even if the child moves.
     • Correct selection of probe tip size. I use the pediatric foam tip for 95% of my screenings. Other machines have a wide variety of probe cover sizes, but don't think this is an advantage. Screeners don't always know how pick the correct size, and each wrong choice is costly, as it must be discarded. This could double the cost of your probe tip covers.
     • Allows for high tolerance of noise. This allows screenings to occur in noisy environments where other machines could not be able to test. This means that children can often be screened in their classrooms.
• Disadvantage:
  1. No battery level indicator—I would like to know if the battery is low so it can be recharged. However the machine can be used while plugged in, and the battery life is around 3 hours of use.

The AuDx has a regular and a "Pro" model. I do not recommend the pro model for Early Head Start and Head Start programs. There are a few more features that would be helpful to an audiologist for clinical use, but for screening purposes of Head Start the regular model works great. I would not recommend spending the extra money for the pro model.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns, I would be glad to help out.