Project Grant R01HD116301

This $681,469.00 Project Grant awarded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (CFDA 93.865 - Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) will support a 5-year study to investigate the relationships between provider bias, experiences of ableism, and health outcomes for people with mobility disabilities. The study will be conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and will involve a mixed-methods observational design across two sites. The key objectives are to: 1) prospectively assess explicit and implicit disability biases of rehabilitation providers and measure perceived ableism and health outcomes of over 400 people with mobility disabilities during episodes of rehabilitative care; 2) evaluate the association between cumulative experiences of ableism and self-reported health outcomes among the study participants; and 3) retrospectively analyze electronic health records using natural language processing to detect patterns of potential bias within provider documentation. The qualitative interviews with study participants will contextualize the quantitative findings and generate new theories about the role of ableism in provider-patient relationships. The long-term goal is to reduce disparities and maximize participation, health, and quality of life for people with mobility disabilities.