Predicting risks and costs for people with cirrhosis

Natural history, risk prediction and cost of cirrhosis in insured Americans.

NIH-funded research Northwestern University · NIH-11018505

Using U.S. health insurance records to find which people with cirrhosis are most likely to have serious complications and how much their care costs.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNorthwestern University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chicago, United States)
Project IDNIH-11018505 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers will analyze a large national insurance database of insured Americans from 2011–2018 that includes diagnoses, procedures, lab tests, medications, inpatient and outpatient visits, and standardized costs. They will build and test models to identify patients likely to develop decompensating events such as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, gastrointestinal bleeding, or liver cancer. The team will also quantify the long-term health care costs and cost drivers for people with cirrhosis. Findings aim to highlight who may need earlier guideline-recommended care or new therapies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with a diagnosed diagnosis of cirrhosis whose care appears in U.S. health insurance claims (insured Americans) are the population represented by this work.

Not a fit: People without U.S. insurance, those whose care is not captured in insurance claims, or patients with scant recorded health-care use may not be represented and therefore may not directly benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: This work could help clinicians spot high-risk patients sooner and target care to reduce hospitalizations, complications, and costs.

How similar studies have performed: Some prior prediction models exist but have not reliably identified who will decompensate, and comprehensive U.S.-level cost analyses for cirrhosis have been limited, so this work builds on prior models while filling an important gap.

Where this research is happening

Chicago, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.