# Using Routine Care Electronic Medical Record Data and Artificial Intelligence to Develop a Passive Digital Marker to Predict Postoperative Delirium

> **NIH NIH K23** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2024 · $141,820

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Postoperative delirium is among the most common complications following elective surgery. Delirium is
associated with prolonged lengths of stay, functional decline, cognitive impairment, higher costs, and higher
mortality. This proposal describes a career development plan that will transform Dr. Mohanty into a patient-
oriented investigator focused on improving the perioperative brain health of every older American undergoing
major surgery. Dr. Mohanty’s proposed project will involve merging the data of more than 35000 patients who
underwent major surgery in a statewide health system with electronic health record (EHR) data from the
Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), a Regional Health Information Exchange. Using this merged
database, the candidate will develop and test a passive predictive model (“digital marker”) for postoperative
delirium risk using routine care EHR data, including unstructured, free text notes, and a machine learning
algorithm. This “digital marker” will then be tested in a pilot randomized clinical trial in preparation for a large
efficacy trial which will evaluate the impact of this scalable “digital marker” on short and long-term cognitive
outcomes.
The proposed career development plan integrates: close mentoring from a multidisciplinary team of senior
scientists; coursework and structured didactics in medical informatics, including advanced analytics, artificial
intelligence, and clinical decision support; implementation science; experiential learning via the conduct of the
proposed research project; and a supportive research environment. This environment includes an
internationally recognized NIH-funded delirium study group, the distinguished Indiana University Center for
Aging Research, the NIA-funded Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Center, and the NIH-funded Indiana Clinical and
Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). This career development award will guarantee protected time that will
be necessary to advance the candidate’s career in perioperative brain health. In addition, the award will
provide critical support to collect data for a future R01 efficacy randomized controlled trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10896394
- **Project number:** 5K23AG071945-03
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Sanjay Mohanty
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $141,820
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10896394

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10896394, Using Routine Care Electronic Medical Record Data and Artificial Intelligence to Develop a Passive Digital Marker to Predict Postoperative Delirium (5K23AG071945-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10896394. Licensed CC0.

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