HEAR-COMMAND Tool

The HEAR-COMMAND Tool is a validated, self-rated questionnaire designed to assess challenges in hearing, communication, conversation, and participation in everyday life. Developed in accordance with the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), it represents the most comprehensive assessment tool of its kind.

Grounded in the ICF framework, the tool provides a holistic view of hearing-related functioning that goes beyond standard audiological measures. It is suitable for clinical application, research purposes, and personal evaluation.

• Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH, Oldenburg, Germany
• Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Oldenburg, Germany
• Auditory, Balance, and Mobility Capability (ABILITY) Research Lab, housed within the Department of Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences, Auburn University, USA
• Cochlear Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Research Department, Germany
• Sohag University Hospital, Audiovestibular Medicine Division, Egypt
• Amsterdam UMC, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Netherlands

Dr. Tahereh Afghah
Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH | Marie-Curie-Straße 2 | 26129 Oldenburg | Germany
Email: afghah@hz-ol.de
Tel: +49 441 2172-184

• Afghah, Tahereh, Razan Alfakir, Markus Meis, Mahmoud Hammady, Mostafa Youssif, Mohamed Abd Al-Ghaffar, Sophia E. Kramer, and Kirsten C. Wagener. "ICF-based hearing and functioning assessment: validation and research outcomes of utilizing the HEAR-COMMAND tool for patients with mild to moderately severe hearing loss and individuals with normal hearing." Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences 5 (2024): 1389653.Link to article
• Afghah, Tahereh, Razan Alfakir, Markus Meis, Lisette van Leeuwen, Sophia E. Kramer, Mahmoud Hammady, Mostafa Youssif, and Kirsten C. Wagener. "The development of a self-rated ICF-based questionnaire (HEAR-COMMAND tool) to evaluate hearing, communication, and conversation disability: multinational experts’ and patients’ perspectives." Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences 3 (2022): 1005525.Link to article

English, German, and Arabic versions:

This project is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Project ID: 352015383 – SFB1330, C4

Korean version:

This project is funded by the Auburn University Undergraduate Research Fellow Program 2024-2025 in collaboration with the College of Nursing, Auburn University, AL, USA.

2021 – present

To use the electronic version of the HEAR-COMMAND Tool via the LimeSurvey platform:

• English version: Provided in .lss format – Download
• German version: Provided in .lss format – Download

• LimeSurvey Manual
• HEAR-COMMAND Tool Online Version Installation Manual: Provided in .pdf format (English)
• Tool Preview:
  • English version: Provided in .pdf format
  • German version: Provided in .pdf format

Korean Version:

Razan Alfakir, Lily Dunaway, JungMoon Hyun, Hae Sagong, Tahereh Afghah, Soyean Kang (2025). Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Field Testing of the Korean Version of the HEAR-COMMAND Tool: A Self-Rated ICF-Based Questionnaire for Assessing Hearing, Communication, and Conversation Disability in Korean-Speaking Populations. The Journal of Audiology and Otology (in press).

Arabic Version:

Razan Alfakir, Mahmoud Hammady, Tahereh Afghah, Mohamed Abd Al-Ghaffar, Mostafa Youssif (2025). Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the HEAR-COMMAND Tool – Arabic: A Self-Rated ICF-Based Questionnaire for Assessing Hearing, Communication, and Conversation Disability in Arabic-Speaking Populations. The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology (submitted).