Catherine H. Saunders, MPH, PhD
Title(s)
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Assistant Professor of The Dartmouth Institute
Additional Titles/Positions/Affiliations
Principal Scientist
Department(s)
Medicine
The Dartmouth Institute
Education
AB, Middlebury College 2009
MPH, Geisel School of Medicine, 2016
PhD, Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, 2019
Websites
https:
https:
https:
Contact Information
Professional Interests
Care delivery during serious illness
Patient and care partner experiences
Clinical visit agenda setting
Qualitative methods
Participatory methods
Grant Information
Current
Agenda-Setting in Kidney Disease. The ASK Study.
Setting the Agenda: Empowering people with CKD in rural America through participatory research to develop, implement and trial a clinical visit agenda-setting intervention; National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) 1K01DK139400. 2024-2029. $771,203. PI, Saunders.
Developing and Testing Two Approaches to Engagement in Research: The Participatory Approaches to Qualitative Research Trial. Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). SOE-2023C3-35572. 2024-2027. $2,108,902. PI, Saunders. Dual PI, Leyenaar.
Centering children and care partners in complex pediatric hospital stays: Developing an inpatient agenda-setting intervention for multidisciplinary family meetings. Dartmouth Synergy Clinical and Translational Science Institute SYNERGY Translational Pilot Award. National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NCATS) UM1TR004772 2025-2026 $50,000, PI Saunders. MPI Reese.
Development and Implementation of Culturally Sensitive Safety Planning to Reduce Suicide Risk in Adolescents Seeking Care in Rural Emergency Departments. National Institute of Nursing Research. 1R01NR021638. $3,763,040.2024-2029. PI Leyenaar. Co-I Saunders.
Past
CONFIDENT: A Randomized Trial to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in Long-Term Care Workers. Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). 2021-2025. $6,240,025 Contact PI, Elwyn. Dual PI, Durand. Site PI Saunders.
Courses Taught
Scientific advisor in the Independent Integrative Learning Experience (I-ILE)
Mentoring Information
Welcoming mentees and collaborators interested in serious illness communication and experience, particularly among hospitalized patients, those with chronic kidney disease and older adults. Special interest in the interplay of these issues with the social determinants of health, particularly race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health literacy and rurality.
Biography
Katie is a mixed methods health services researcher focused on making the experience of serious illness better and easier to measure. She works to develop, test, and implement innovations on behalf of patients, care partners, and clinicians. Her research is anchored in the belief that patients and their families are better off when they have a seat at the table and a voice in the discussion. When she isn’t doing science, she is exploring the forests and streams near her home with her husband, two young children, and big shaggy dog.
Using consideRATE to Evaluate Patient Experience in a Cancer Center: Psychometric and Healthcare Assessments. Qualitative Approaches in Health Services Research: A Methodological Primer. Use of the consideRATE and integRATE Measures to Assess Care Quality in Inpatient Palliative Care. Provider and Staff Perspectives on Screening and Referral for Social Determinants of Health During Perinatal Care: Implications Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. An electronic pre-visit agenda-setting questionnaire in ambulatory palliative care is feasible and acceptable to patients, care partners, and clinicians: A mixed methods evaluation. Feasibility and acceptability of the brief patient-reported experience measure consideRATE within the hospital setting for patients with palliative care needs, their families/carers and clinicians. Agenda-setting in the clinical encounter: A systematic review protocol. Engaging Long-Term Care Workers in Research: Recruitment Approaches and Participant Characteristics From a Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence. Clinician-Spoken Plain Language in Health Care Encounters: A Qualitative Analysis to Assess Measurable Elements. Practical thematic analysis: a guide for multidisciplinary health services research teams engaging in qualitative analysis. |
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