Predicting social needs in emergency departments
Protocol for Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Clinical Decision Support System With Prediction Modeling to Identify Patients With Health-related Social Needs in the Emergency Department
This study is testing if a new system that gives doctors risk scores for patients' social needs can help them better identify and refer those who need extra support in the emergency department.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 48000 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Indiana University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Indianapolis, Indiana) |
| Trial ID | NCT06655974 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This study aims to enhance the management of patients' health-related social needs in emergency departments by implementing a decision support system. The system generates risk scores for patients, indicating their likelihood of having social needs that require attention. The study will evaluate whether providing these risk scores to clinicians increases the rates of screening and referrals for social needs, as well as how it affects patients' subsequent healthcare utilization. The intervention will be tested in adult patients at an emergency department in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are adults over 18 years old seeking care at emergency departments in the Indianapolis area.
Not a fit: Patients presenting with critical illnesses or injuries, or those who are transferred from other facilities, may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to improved identification and management of social needs, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: While the specific approach of using predictive modeling for social needs in emergency settings is relatively novel, similar studies have shown promise in improving patient outcomes through enhanced screening and referral processes.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (\>18 years old) * Seeking care at Indianapolis, Indiana area emergency departments (EDs). Exclusion Criteria: * Children * Encounters by patients that present with a critical illness/injury (e.g. severe trauma patients or those with Emergency Severity Index (ESI) classification level 1) * Encounters by patients who have been transferred from another inpatient facility * Patients that die during the ED encounter * Encounters among patients who were ultimately admitted during their ED visits from our analysis
Where this trial is running
Indianapolis, Indiana
- Indiana University Health — Indianapolis, Indiana, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Joshua R Vest, PhD,MPH — Indiana University
- Study coordinator: Joshua R Vest, PhD, MPH
- Email: joshvest@iu.edu
- Phone: 317 278 8410
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.