How health policies affect people with systemic autoimmune and rheumatic conditions
Official title: Effects of health policy on the health of people with systemic autoimmune and rheumatic diseases
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11335678 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how health policies and medical care affect health and pregnancy outcomes for reproductive-age women with systemic autoimmune and rheumatic diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | May 25, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $668,861 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD118690-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11335678 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Reproductive-age women with systemic autoimmune and rheumatic diseases who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, postpartum, or have prior pregnancy experience are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without systemic autoimmune or rheumatic conditions, men, or individuals whose health concerns are unrelated to pregnancy or reproductive care are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
You would be asked about your experiences with fertility, pregnancy care, and access to treatments through interviews with researchers. Doctors who treat people with these conditions will also be interviewed about how policies shape their prescribing and referral choices. The team will analyze national insurance claims to compare pregnancy outcomes (like severe maternal complications) and medication use among women with these conditions. Together these methods aim to link patient experiences, clinician decisions, and policy factors to suggest ways to improve care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: The findings could pinpoint policy changes that improve access to effective treatments and safer pregnancy care for people with systemic autoimmune and rheumatic diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown worse pregnancy outcomes for women with these conditions, but linking those outcomes to health policies and clinician decision-making is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Talabi, Mehret Birru — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Talabi, Mehret Birru
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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.