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While many people say that “too much iPod” can cause hearing loss, a group of doctors on the other hand are using iPods to improve their listening skills.

The problem: Currently, a previous research shows that doctors get an average of only 40% in correctly identifying heart sounds. Now imagine if your doctor said that all is OK but there is really something wrong - he just didn’t hear it properly… Hmmm…

The solution: Train them to identify these sounds better

A new research involving 149 general internists listened 400 times to five common heart sounds during a 90-minute session using iPods. The result? The average score doubled to 80%. Now that’s a definite improvement.

Proficiency with a stethoscope—and the ability to recognize abnormal heart sounds—is a critical skill for identifying dangerous heart conditions and minimizing dependence on expensive medical tests, said lead researcher Dr. Michael Barrett, clinical associate professor of medicine and cardiologist at Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital. “It’s important to know when to order a costly echocardiogram or stress test,” Barrett said.

Barrett believes the skill of learning heart problems is best learned through intensive drilling and repetition, not by traditional methods, usually a classroom lecture or demonstration in medical school and then on the job.

Now I can begin to hear the sound of relief.

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