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SINGAPORE – Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) is transforming the delivery of hearing tests with the launch of its Automated Audiometry Service — an initiative designed to improve access to hearing diagnostics, shorten waiting times and strengthen the sustainability of hearing care services amid rising demand.
As Singapore’s population ages and awareness of hearing health increases, demand for hearing tests is expected to continue growing. More patients are also requiring repeat assessments to monitor hearing changes over time, placing increasing pressure on audiology services. Early and timely hearing diagnostics remain critical, as hearing loss may occur suddenly or progress gradually without obvious symptoms, affecting communication, social engagement and quality of life. Longer delay between tests may also compromise the quality of hearing aid fittings and rehabilitation.
Launched in April 2026 at the hospital’s ENT – Head & Neck Surgery clinic, the service uses portable, self-administered audiometry booths that allow a single trained staff member to oversee multiple patients concurrently. This represents a shift from the traditional one-to-one manual testing model to a parallel testing approach, enabling the department to meet growing diagnostic needs without a proportional increase in manpower. The service is among the first of its kind launched in a local healthcare institution.
The initiative reflects NTFGH’s broader commitment to value-driven healthcare, where automation and workforce redesign are leveraged to enhance patient care, improve operational efficiency and prepare healthcare services for future population needs.
Key outcomes of the Automated Audiometry Service include:
These improvements were achieved through workflow optimisation that allows testing processes to run concurrently. While automated tests are underway, staff are able to prepare and initiate tests for other patients, improving overall efficiency while maintaining clinical quality. This is supported by validated testing systems, proper patient instruction and internal checks confirming that automated results remain within acceptable clinical variation for their intended use.
The service also enables a more stratified approach to hearing diagnostics. Selected diagnostics and routine follow-up cases are managed through automated testing conducted by trained staff, while patients requiring more complex assessments continue to be referred for manual diagnostic audiometry. This allows audiologists to focus on patients who require advanced diagnostics, hearing aid rehabilitation and population-level hearing care planning.
“The goal is not just efficiency, but access and sustainability,” said Mr Remy New, Head of Audiology and Senior Audiologist at NTFGH. “By automating suitable parts of the diagnostic work, we can see patients earlier, test more frequently where needed, and enable audiologists to focus on more complex cases and long-term hearing outcomes.”
To download the PDF version of the media release, click here.
