Using electronic health records and nudges to improve palliative care for seriously ill patients in hospitals
Official title: Leveraging the electronic health record and behavioral nudges to promote primary and specialist palliative care for inpatients with serious illness: A pragmatic trial
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11335654 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large hospital-based study tests how EHR prompts and gentle reminders can help doctors provide better palliative care for inpatients with serious illnesses like Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $633,068 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG073384-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11335654 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Hospitals treating adults with serious illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, who are inpatients eligible for palliative care consideration.
✕Less likely to help
Some patients may not experience meaningful changes in care planning during the study period.
What this research studies
This project uses real hospital data to trigger alerts in the electronic health record and uses behavioral nudges to encourage clinicians to offer primary or specialist palliative care. It is designed as a pragmatic trial in which everyday clinical workflows are kept intact to see how these prompts affect patient outcomes, caregiver experiences, and resource use. The goal is to identify practical ways to align care with patients’ goals for those with serious illnesses, including Alzheimer’s-related conditions. Patients and families benefit when care plans reflect preferences and improve quality of life through timely palliative care involvement.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with serious illness could receive more goal-aligned care and fewer burdensome treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show palliative care can improve outcomes, but this trial tests real-world EHR triggers in a specific population and setting.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Courtright, Katherine Rinaldi — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Courtright, Katherine Rinaldi
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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.