Fundamental issues in self-assessment of hearing.

The history of self-assessment for hearing is reviewed from its beginning use in the 1930s to its emerging importance in the 1980s. It is presented as a more systematic method for interviewing the patient, and although it does not always agree with pure-tone findings, it should be recognized as a useful assessment method to be used in combination with other measures of hearing. The uses for self-assessment, psychometric concerns, issues in the definition of hearing domains (disorder, impairment, handicap, disability), and new frontiers also are discussed in this overview article.