The current epidemiological understanding of inner ear malformation (IEM) patients is limited by the rarity of the condition. This study employs two national databases to describe the natural progression of this disease across thousands of electronic medical records.
This descriptive epidemiological study clarifies symptom and treatment patterns for congenital inner ear malformations at a national scale, but does not evaluate treatment outcomes; no immediate change to clinical management protocols is indicated.
Characterizing real-world symptom burden and treatment variability for congenital inner ear malformations at a national level can guide future guideline development and identify gaps in care.
- 01Uses TriNetX and Epic Cosmos networks — two of the largest U.S. clinical research databases.
- 02Focuses on congenital inner ear malformations, a rare but clinically complex pediatric condition.
- 03Compares symptom profiles and treatment patterns across both networks for validity.
- 04Published in International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology (2026).
- 05Descriptive study design; does not assess comparative treatment effectiveness.
TriNetX and Epic Cosmos research networks can be used to characterize symptoms and treatment of congenital inner ear malformations at a national level.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42456375
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijporl.2026.112935.
- Journal
- International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Patients with congenital inner ear malformations identified via TriNetX and Epic Cosmos U.S. research networks
- Intervention
- Characterization of symptoms and treatment patterns using EHR network data
- Comparator
- Comparison between TriNetX and Epic Cosmos datasets
Primary outcomes
Symptom profiles in congenital inner ear malformation; Treatment patterns and variability