The Growing Burden of Hearing-Related Disability.

NCT07798687 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: BTL002-2026
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 150,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Hearing loss and tinnitus can affect communication, employment, daily functioning, and long-term disability. This study will examine hearing-related disability claims recorded by the National Insurance Institute of Israel between 2018 and 2025. The study will evaluate changes over time in the number and proportion of hearing-related claims and will compare patterns between general disability and work-injury claims. It will also describe the main hearing-related diagnoses, including hearing impairment, tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss, and acoustic trauma, as well as the levels of disability assigned according to national disability regulations. The study uses existing administrative records and does not involve any intervention or change in patient care. The aim is to improve understanding of the national burden and long-term consequences of hearing-related disorders and to identify trends that may support prevention, occupational health, and disability-policy planning.

Conditions

Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced

Keywords

Hearing loss; Tinnitus; Noise-Induced; Occupational Diseases; Disability Evaluation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Proportion of Hearing-Related Claims Among All Disability Claims

  The proportion of hearing-related claims will be calculated as the number of claims associated with hearing loss, tinnitus, or other hearing-related diagnoses divided by the total number of claims within each benefit stream. Annual trends will be evaluated separately for general disability and work-injury claims.

  2018-2025

Study Arms (1)

Hearing loss

Individuals with hearing-related claims recorded by the National Insurance Institute of Israel between 2018 and 2025 will constitute the study cohort. The cohort will include persons with diagnoses such as hearing loss, tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss, and acoustic trauma. Claims will be analyzed according to benefit stream, including general disability and work-injury claims. Demographic, diagnostic, temporal, and disability-related characteristics will be evaluated where available. No intervention or treatment is assigned as part of this retrospective observational study.

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Individuals whose administrative records were included in the National Insurance Institute of Israel database between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2025. The study population includes persons with hearing-related diagnoses or disability determinations, including hearing loss, tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss, and acoustic trauma. Analyses will focus primarily on general-disability and work-injury benefit streams. Because this is a retrospective study of existing administrative records, no participants will be prospectively enrolled and no study intervention will be performed.

You may qualify if:

• Individuals of any age with a hearing-related disability claim recorded in the National -- Insurance Institute database during the study period.
• Male and female claimants.
• First claims and appeals involving a hearing-related disability determination.
• Claims containing hearing-related clinical, audiometric, or tinnitus-related impairment information.

You may not qualify if:

• Claims not related to hearing impairment, hearing loss, or tinnitus.
• Administrative records without an eligible hearing-related disability determination.
• Duplicate records referring to the same determination.
• Records lacking the information required for the specific analysis being performed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Assuta Medical Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

Israel National Insurance Institute

Jerusalem, 91099, Israel

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Poshnoi L, Carel R. [Noise-induced hearing loss--factors affecting worker's decision to submit a disability claim]. Harefuah. 2004 Feb;143(2):106-9, 167. Hebrew.

  PMID: 15143698 BACKGROUND

• Jorgensen AY, Aarhus L, Engdahl B, Bratsberg B, Skirbekk VF, Mehlum IS. Hearing loss, sick leave, and disability pension: findings from the HUNT follow-up study. BMC Public Health. 2022 Jul 14;22(1):1340. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13760-2.

  PMID: 35836216 BACKGROUND

• Gupta S, Jaiswal A, Sukhai M, Wittich W. Hearing disability and employment: a population-based analysis using the 2017 Canadian survey on disability. Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Jun;45(11):1836-1846. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2076938. Epub 2022 May 24.

  PMID: 35609236 BACKGROUND

• Elsendoorn BCHM, Wauters L, Tijsseling C, van Klaveren CPBJ, Cornelisz I, Heppe ECM. Examining employment outcomes of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in The Netherlands using non-public microdata. Work. 2025 Feb;80(2):888-899. doi: 10.1177/10519815241289791. Epub 2024 Nov 13.

  PMID: 40172845 BACKGROUND

• Chauhan T, Tsimpida D. Work Disability and Rehabilitation in Workers with Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review. J Occup Rehabil. 2026 Jun 11. doi: 10.1007/s10926-026-10415-6. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 42274883 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced; Hearing Loss; Tinnitus; Occupational Diseases

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hearing Loss, Sensorineural; Hearing Disorders; Ear Diseases; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Sensation Disorders; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Medicine doctor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 28, 2026
• First Posted: September 1, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: August 27, 2026
• Last Updated: September 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IL (1)