How health care algorithms affect patient care

A Framework for the Impact of Algorithms in Health Care

NIH-funded research Stanford University · NIH-11181310

This project will create ways to predict how algorithms used in hospitals and clinics change access to care, quality, and costs for patients.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionStanford University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Stanford, United States)
Project IDNIH-11181310 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers will build computer models that mimic how decisions flow through the health care system and use real-world sources like insurance claims, clinic electronic health records, and interviews to set those models up. They will run detailed microsimulations that represent complex causal relationships and also build simpler comparison models to check reliability. The team combines expertise in machine learning, health economics, decision science, statistics, and qualitative methods so outputs reflect many perspectives. All models, assumptions, and code will be shared openly so patients and clinicians can see how conclusions were reached.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients with electronic health records or insurance claims held by participating systems, or patients willing to share their care experiences in interviews, could contribute data or participate.

Not a fit: People whose care does not involve algorithmic tools or who are not included in the datasets used may not see direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help prevent harmful algorithm-driven decisions and promote safer, fairer use of AI in health care.

How similar studies have performed: Previous work has revealed both harms and benefits from clinical algorithms, but building simulation-based frameworks to predict their impact before deployment is a relatively new approach.

Where this research is happening

Stanford, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.