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Noise-induced hearing loss: the diagnosis depends on the doctor’s belief
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Schink et al1 state that musicians more often than others are diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), reporting a HR of 3.6. In addition to reporting a slightly increased risk of being diagnosed with tinnitus, the authors conclude that “Professional musicians have a high risk of contracting hearing disorders”. Although the findings appear convincing, I think the results should be interpreted otherwise.
The high risk of differential misclassification in the outcome seems overlooked. As NIHL …
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Competing interests None.
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Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.