# Transforming Patient Safety Event Data into Actionable Insights through Advanced Analytics

> **NIH AHRQ R01** · MEDSTAR HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2020 · $398,080

## Abstract

Abstract
The objective of the proposed research is to develop an innovative algorithms and a software tool to reduce
the burden of safety event report classification and analysis so that report data can be transformed to
actionable insights. Making safety event data more actionable will support the proactive identification of safety
hazards before patients are harmed. We will achieve our research objective through (1) the development of
natural language processing algorithms to classify safety event reports into actionable medication error
categories; (2) the development of prototype software that will automatically categorize and visualize safety
event reports to support trend identification; and (3) the pilot testing of prototype software with hospital and
patient safety organization safety analysts.
This project utilizes the extensive expertise of the research team in human factors and safety science,
including computer science, specifically regarding information retrieval and data classification. Our research
team includes patient safety organizations and collaboration with the computer science department at
Georgetown University. The proposal is directly aligned with AHRQ’s priority area of making health care safer.
Contributions from this research will include an expansion of our understanding of natural language processing
and its application to categorizing clinical text, advances in visual analytics, and the development of a software
tool to support patient safety analysts. The outputs of this research will serve both healthcare organizations
and patient safety organizations allowing them to more efficiently and effectively analyze safety report data.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9962801
- **Project number:** 1R01HS026481-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MEDSTAR HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Raj M Ratwani
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $398,080
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9962801

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9962801, Transforming Patient Safety Event Data into Actionable Insights through Advanced Analytics (1R01HS026481-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9962801. Licensed CC0.

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