Using electronic health records to better understand patients' social factors
Computable social factor phenotyping using EHR and HIE data
This study is working to better understand how social factors, like your living situation or job, affect your health by using information already in your medical records, so that healthcare providers can offer more personalized support and improve your overall care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10918183 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research aims to improve how health systems measure patients' social risk factors by developing computable social factor phenotypes from existing electronic health record (EHR) data. It addresses the challenges of traditional data collection methods, such as questionnaires and area-level data, which often fail to accurately reflect individual circumstances. By utilizing natural language processing and existing healthcare data, the study seeks to create valid and implementable approaches that can predict patients' healthcare costs and utilization based on their social risks. This could lead to more effective interventions and improved health outcomes for patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research include patients whose social determinants of health significantly impact their healthcare utilization and costs.
Not a fit: Patients with minimal social risk factors or those whose healthcare needs are primarily driven by clinical conditions may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better identification and management of social risk factors, ultimately improving patient care and reducing healthcare costs.
How similar studies have performed: While the approach of using EHR data for social factor assessment is gaining traction, this specific methodology of computable social factor phenotyping is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
Indianapolis, United States
- Indiana University Indianapolis — Indianapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vest, Joshua Ryan — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Vest, Joshua Ryan
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.