How state laws and local access shape teens' health care choices
Modeling Adolescent Health Care Decision-Making
This project uses computer simulations to show how state and local health laws, where teens live, and access to providers can change health care for adolescents.
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 ID | NIH-11367848 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will combine state and local laws about adolescent consent and health care with national census and health data. Researchers will build agent-based computer simulations (using the FRED platform) to model how laws, geography, local demographics, and individual behaviors influence whether adolescents get care. They will collaborate with parents, school staff, pediatricians, and other community partners to make the simulations reflect real-life experiences. By testing scenarios like rural provider shortages or differing consent rules, the model will predict how policy and access shape teen health outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents, their parents or caregivers, school staff, and pediatric clinicians across different U.S. states—especially those in rural or underserved areas—are the people whose experiences could inform or benefit from this work.
Not a fit: People whose health concerns do not involve adolescent care laws or access (for example unrelated adult conditions) are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help guide laws and local services so more teens can get timely, appropriate health care.
How similar studies have performed: Agent-based models and legal epidemiology have been used successfully for infectious disease and some policy questions, but applying them specifically to adolescent health laws and local access is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chu, Kar-Hai — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Chu, Kar-Hai
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.