How open access to doctors' notes affects fairness in mental health care
How Do OpenNotes Policies Affect Healthcare Disparities? A Computational Approach
['FUNDING_R21'] · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · NIH-11193479
This project looks at how giving patients access to their medical notes changes mental health care and whether it helps or harms fairness for different groups.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R21'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11193479 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project uses computer programs that read clinical notes to compare how clinicians wrote notes before and after the OpenNotes policy. The team will focus on mental health records because those notes are often sensitive and may influence stigma, communication, or treatment decisions. They will build clinical natural language processing tools to detect changes in language, level of detail, and documentation patterns across diverse patient groups. The researchers aim to identify whether note transparency leads to documentation changes that could reduce or worsen disparities in care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people receiving mental health care whose electronic health record notes are part of the health systems analyzed, especially patients from groups that face disparities.
Not a fit: Patients without mental health notes in the analyzed records or who receive care outside the participating systems are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help make mental health notes clearer and more equitable, reducing misunderstandings and unfair differences in care.
How similar studies have performed: Previous survey-based and small specialty studies have suggested benefits and concerns with OpenNotes, but large-scale computational analysis of mental health documentation is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: ZIRIKLY, AYAH — JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: ZIRIKLY, AYAH
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.