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Scientific Oral Presentation

Comprehensive Otolaryngology

Trinetx in Otolaryngology: Current Practices of and Best Practices for a Burgeoning Research Platform

Sunday, October 18, 2026
8:00 AM - 8:06 AM PT
Location: 501AC

    Presenting Author(s)

  • AC

    Alexander Chen, BS

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of Southern California, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • OA

    Oluwatobiloba O. Ayo-Ajibola, BS

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
    Los Angeles, CA, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AC

    Alexander Cobian, BS

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA, United States

  • SL

    Samuel Liu, BS

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA, United States

  • IK

    Ian Kim, PhD

    Senior Research Scientist
    Department of Pediatrics, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, California, USA., United States

  • Tyler JS Gallagher, MD MPH

    Resident Physician
    Caruso Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
    Los Angeles, California, United States

    • Senior Author(s)

  • Matthew E. Lin, MD

    Resident Physician
    UCLA Department of Head and Neck Surgery
    Los Angeles, CA, United States

Disclosure(s):
Tyler JS Gallagher, MD MPH:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Matthew E. Lin, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Despite rapid adoption of the TriNetX platform in otolaryngology research, the methodological transparency and scholarly impact of these studies remain poorly characterized. This systematic bibliometric review examines current use, predictors of study impact, and best practices.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were queried on 11/1/2025 for original, English language peer-reviewed otolaryngology publications explicitly using TriNetX (1/2023-11/2025). PRISMA checklists evaluated methodology, extracting data on publication characteristics, subspecialty focus, author career stage, cohort size, analytic methods, and reporting transparency. Multivariable regression models with appropriate transformations identified predictors of increased citation counts and impact factors (IFs).

Results: Of 274 studies, 168 met inclusion criteria. Of these, 82.1% originated in the US, 80.3% were published since 2024, 38.1% focused on head and neck cancer, 71.4% used propensity score matching, 14.3% reported sensitivity analyses, and 14.9% followed a reporting guideline (i.e., RECORD). In regression analysis, higher citation counts were associated with RECORD reporting (β 3.52, 95% CI 1.24-5.79), sensitivity analyses (2.95, 0.86-5.03), >10 year follow-up (9.16, 0.22-18.10), earlier publication year (-3.72, -4.72 - -2.72), U.S.-based institutions (4.65, 1.50-7.80), and U.S. TriNetX region (2.90, 1.22-4.57). Increased IF was associated with sensitivity analyses (2.07, 1.29-2.85), earlier publication year (-0.51, -0.88 - -0.13), non-subspeciality studies (5.31, 3.33-7.28), U.S. TriNetX region (0.75, 0.13-1.38), and mixed adult/pediatric populations (1.34, 0.44-2.24). Multicenter, funded studies, increased cohort size, and reporting standardized differences were not associated with either outcome.

Conclusions: TriNetX use is characterized by inconsistent reporting practices. Adherence to reporting frameworks, transparent cohort construction, and thoughtful study design may ensure this research produces durable, clinically meaningful insights to otolaryngology.