EHR data helps Regenstrief, IUPUI researchers pinpoint cancer symptom clusters

Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis researchers developed algorithms that can pull data on cancer patients' symptoms taken in EHRs to help clinicians manage and treat symptoms that negatively affect patients' health and quality of life.

By extracting EHR data, Indianapolis-based Regenstrief and IUPUI researchers were able to analyze associations between symptom clusters and disease.

"Identifying and understanding symptom clusters — which symptoms tend to go together – fatigue and depression, for example — and when these symptoms occur during the course of treatment – provides critical information to a patient’s care team, especially as we look forward to precision health and try to find the right treatment for the right patient at the right time," said Kun Huang, PhD, Regenstrief Institute investigator, according to the news release.

The researchers observed symptoms of breast cancer and colorectal patients recorded in the EHR during two time periods; the first year of chemotherapy and the 48 months to 54 months post chemotherapy. Researchers then identified symptom clusters based on severity and combination of symptoms.

Results of the analysis showed that symptom clusters were not the same for breast cancer patients and colorectal cancer patients. Additionally, breast cancer patients present slightly more symptoms than colorectal cancer patients during the first year following chemotherapy, and colorectal cancer patients had more depression 48 months to 54 months after chemotherapy.

Researchers were also able to identify linkages after the analysis, such as when a high-stage colorectal cancer patient had no fatigue symptom, the individual was also unlikely to experience depression.

The research team plans to expand the project to test other symptom clusters and chronic diseases.

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