Overview
Karen E. Steinhauser, PhD is a social scientist dedicated to improving quality of life of patients, families, and providers during serious illness. She is a Health Scientist with the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, VA Medical Center, Durham and Professor, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Senior Fellow with the Duke University Center for Aging, and a former VA Career Development Awardee.
Karen Steinhauser, PhD, is Professor, Departments of Population Health Sciences and Medicine, Duke University Medical Center and Senior Fellow with the Duke University Center for Aging and Health Scientist with the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, VA Medical Center, Durham. Her research is dedicated to improving patient and family psychosocial and spiritual care, in serious illness. She has developed measurement tools to assess patient and family quality of life as well as psychosocial interventions to improve the experience of serious illness for patients and those who care for them. Dr. Steinhauser's research has used qualitative and qualitative methods, observational, trial and implementation research. Her latest work includes: developing a measure to assess the spiritual needs in palliative care, and addressing clinician resilience in palliative care. She serves as Associate Chief of Research for Duke Palliative Care, and Director of the Duke Residency Professional Development Coaching program. She has been a long-term member of AAHPM, having served on the research committee and being the 2015 Awardee for Excellence in Scientific Research in Palliative Care. She is the Director of Duke’s Residency Professional Development Coaching Program.
Area of expertise: Palliative Care, Qualitative Research
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Filling Diabetes Medications Through VA or Medicare, or Both: Factors in Decision Making, Challenges, and Informational Needs.
Journal Article J Gen Intern Med · May 6, 2025 BACKGROUND: Veterans' dual use of VA and Medicare Part D to fill diabetes medications is common and has advantages as well as disadvantages. OBJECTIVE: To understand the factors Veterans and their care partners consider when choosing whether to fill their ... Full text Link to item CiteHow Does Spiritual Well-Being Change Over Time Among US Patients with Heart Failure and What Predicts Change?
Journal Article J Relig Health · August 2024 Few studies have examined how spiritual well-being changes over time in patients with heart failure. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Collaborative Care to Alleviate Symptoms and Adjust to Illness (CASA) trial (N = 314). Spiritual well-be ... Full text Link to item CiteValidating a tool to measure spiritual beliefs, needs and resources in serious illness: The I-SPIRIT.
Journal Article J Am Geriatr Soc · July 2024 BACKGROUND: Seriously ill patients rely on spiritual and existential beliefs to support coping and approach crucial treatment and healthcare decisions. Yet, we lack gold standard, validated approaches to gathering information on those spiritual beliefs. Th ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Evaluating the Implementation of High Intensity Home-Based Rehabilitation Following Stroke
ResearchCo-Mentor · Awarded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2024 - 2027Couple Communication Skills Training for Advanced Cancer
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025Pain Management Decision Making in Advanced Kidney Disease
ResearchCo-Mentor · Awarded by Regents of the University of Michigan · 2023 - 2025View All Grants