Making cancer research measurements more accurate
New Epidemiologic Methods for Reducing Measurement Error and Misclassification Bias in Cancer Epidemiology
This project makes better ways to fix mistakes in lifestyle and medical-record data so cancer risks are estimated more accurately for people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11162370 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are building statistical tools to correct errors in how lifestyle habits (like physical activity or alcohol use) and cancer diagnoses are recorded. They will use validation studies and compare electronic health records, insurance claims, and biological markers to understand the errors. The team will apply and test these methods on large ‘big data’ sources such as Medicare and hospital databases. The aim is to make results from population studies more reliable so findings can better inform doctors and public health policy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults whose medical records, insurance claims, or lifestyle data are already in large research cohorts or hospital databases (for example, Medicare enrollees or patients at participating hospitals).
Not a fit: Children, people without linked health records or lifestyle information, and those outside the covered datasets are unlikely to be part of this work or see direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get clearer prevention advice and more accurate links between behaviors and cancer risk.
How similar studies have performed: Some earlier correction methods have improved accuracy in smaller studies, but applying and extending these methods to large EHR and claims 'big data' sources is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Molin — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Wang, Molin
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.