Making medical records more respectful
Improving Patient Care through Respectful Medical Record Language
This project will change and improve the words clinicians use in medical records so patients are treated with more respect.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11400282 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You could help define what respectful versus disrespectful language in clinical notes looks like by sharing your experiences and reading notes alongside clinicians across five medical specialties. The team will train computer programs (natural language processing) to find and count respectful and disrespectful wording in electronic health records. Then they will use proven implementation methods—education, feedback to clinicians, stakeholder engagement, and local champions—to encourage more respectful documentation. The researchers have found that note language can shape later clinicians' attitudes and prescribing, so this work aims to stop disrespect from being passed along in care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are patients seen at participating clinics who are willing to allow researchers to review their records or take part in interviews or focus groups about clinical notes.
Not a fit: Patients whose records are not in the participating health system or who need immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to see direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make medical records use more respectful language and help clinicians provide fairer, higher-quality care.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies show that language in clinical notes influences clinician attitudes and prescribing, but combining a language taxonomy, NLP detection, and implementation strategies to reduce disrespect is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beach, Mary Catherine — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Beach, Mary Catherine
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.