Early warning system that uses nurses' notes to spot hospitalized adults who may get sicker
Communicating Narrative Concerns Entered by RNs (CONCERN)
A computer program reads nurses' documentation to alert doctors and nurses earlier when hospitalized adults are at risk of worsening.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266137 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I'm hospitalized, this system looks at patterns in nurses' notes and actions to notice when nurses are becoming more concerned about a patient. It combines expert knowledge with machine learning to produce an early warning score that can alert clinicians sooner than standard tools. An earlier randomized trial of the system linked its alerts to a 27% lower chance of inpatient death and flagged risk about 42 hours before a leading early warning score. This renewal will implement the system at five academic hospitals to check how well it works across different patient groups, whether it is fair, and how caregiver-provided information contributes to the alerts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) admitted to one of the participating academic medical centers who receive nursing care on wards or in emergency/admission settings.
Not a fit: Children, outpatients, or patients treated at hospitals that do not use the CONCERN system would not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help clinicians detect patient deterioration earlier, potentially reducing deaths and serious complications in hospitalized adults.
How similar studies have performed: A prior randomized trial of CONCERN showed interim results of a 27% reduced inpatient mortality and earlier alerts compared with a common early warning score, indicating promising prior success.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rossetti, Sarah Collins — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Rossetti, Sarah Collins
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.