Northwestern Study: EHR Data Reveals Key Insights for Identifying Homelessness Risk
Feinberg School of Medicine
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
A study published in PLOS One by Northwestern Medicine highlights the potential of using electronic health record (EHR) data to identify individuals at risk of homelessness by tracking changes in their residential addresses. The research, led by Abel Kho, MD, analyzed data from about one million patients and found that those with a history of homelessness experienced significantly more address changes compared to those without. The increasing homelessness rates in the U.S. underscore the need for healthcare institutions to leverage EHR data effectively to address housing instability, which can adversely affect health outcomes and incur higher healthcare costs.
