Improving nursing notes to reduce unfair differences in home healthcare
Optimizing Clinical Documentation Quality to Reduce Health Disparities in Home Healthcare: The ENGAGE Study
This project uses computer language tools to find and fix problems in nurses' home-visit notes so people getting home healthcare—especially Black and Hispanic patients—receive fairer, more accurate care.
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-11083128 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will analyze millions of home-health nursing notes using computer language tools (natural language processing) to find wording and documentation patterns that differ by race and ethnicity. They are working with two large home-health agencies that together serve over 100,000 patients to link note patterns with clinical assessments and quality-of-care measures. Based on those findings, the team will develop and test ways to improve documentation practices and clinician decision-making. The goal is to change how notes are written so care recommendations and follow-up are more accurate and equitable.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who receive home healthcare services from the participating agencies, particularly Black and Hispanic patients whose nursing documentation may influence care decisions, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients who do not receive home healthcare or whose care is not provided by the participating agencies are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make clinical records more accurate and help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in home healthcare.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown documentation varies by race and early natural language processing work has linked note patterns to care differences, but applying these methods broadly within home healthcare is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Topaz, Maxim — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Topaz, Maxim
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.