Explore Care Pathways of Colorectal Cancer Patients with Social Network Analysis

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2017:245:1270.

Abstract

Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) often face treatment delays and the exact reasons have not been well studied. This study is to explore clinical workflow patterns for CRC patients using electronic health records (EHR). In particular, we modeled the clinical workflow (provider-provider interactions) of a CRC patient's workup period as a social network, and identified clusters of workflow patterns based on network characteristics. Understanding of these patterns will help guide healthcare policy-making and practice.

Keywords: Colorectal Neoplasms; Electronic Health Records; Workflow.

MeSH terms

  • Colonic Neoplasms
  • Colorectal Neoplasms*
  • Electronic Health Records*
  • Humans
  • Social Support
  • Workflow*