Understanding how care teams connect to better care for older adults with ADRD and multiple health problems
Official title: Identifying Hidden Relational Processes that Fragment Care for Older Adults with ADRD and Multimorbidity: A Social Network Analysis Approach
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11539223 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests how the way clinicians work together (their network) affects care quality and outcomes for older adults with Alzheimer's or related dementias and multiple health issues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,844 |
| NIH project number | 4R00AG083213-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11539223 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who have multiple chronic conditions and interact with multiple clinicians across different care settings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose care networks do not significantly affect their outcomes may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will map clinician networks using social network analysis and link them to patient experiences and health outcomes using electronic health record data. It will follow patients over time to see how changes in clinician collaboration relate to care quality, safety, and costs. The goal is to identify network patterns that support better, less fragmented care for ADRD patients with complex needs. The work builds on prior findings and aims to translate insights into strategies for coordinating care across settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide how care teams are organized to reduce fragmentation and improve outcomes for ADRD patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests that clinician networks influence care delivery, but this project extends understanding to ADRD and multimorbidity using EHR data.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wei, Sijia — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Wei, Sijia
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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.