Katherine L. Kahn, MD

Professor of Medicine
Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research
RAND Distinguished Chair in Health Care Delivery Measurement and Evaluation
Co-Chair Health Systems Work Group, Community Engagement Core/ CTSI

Dr. Kahn is professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research. She is a primary care physician/ general internist caring for patients and teaching in the ambulatory setting and hospital. She is also a senior natural scientist at RAND and has served as the RAND distinguished chair in health care delivery measurement and evaluation. Dr. Kahn has over 30 years of experience leading multiple national and local projects involving health care program evaluation, health care quality measurement and improvement, patient-reported outcomes, measurement of structure-processes-and-outcomes, and the medical home. As a general internist with a special interest in generalist-specialist interactions, she participated in defining strategies for assessing dyspepsia with the Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians (1984-87), was involved in the development of RAND’s initial measurement strategies for assessing appropriateness of GI procedures (1983-1987), was the first to establish methodologies for systematically assessing the appropriateness of use of esophagogastroduodenoscopy in ambulatory settings (1988), and the first to systematically stratify appropriateness ratings according to patient’s burden of illness (1988). Dr. Kahn has pursued the effectiveness of other measurement strategies for GI symptoms, participated in studies related to colorectal cancer screening, and studied outcomes for patients who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She continues with active interests in the interface between generalists and specialists and with an interest in understanding how structural aspects of care can facilitate individual- and population-based processes and outcomes.

Current projects related to GI/liver disease

  • Exploring options for improving colorectal cancer screening
  • Assessing the appropriateness of advanced imaging including for abdominal symptoms

Published manuscripts by KL Kahn related to the field of gastroenterology (more GI and non-GI upon request)

  1. Kahn KL, Greenfield S, and the Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians. Endoscopy in the evaluation of dyspepsia. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1985;102:266-269.
  2. Kahn KL, Greenfield S. The efficacy of endoscopy in the evaluation of dyspepsia: A review of the literature and development of a new strategy. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 1986;8:346-358.
  3. Kahn KL, Park RE, Chassin MR, Kosecoff J, Fink A, Solomon DH, Brook RH. The effect of comorbidity on appropriateness ratings for two gastrointestinal procedures. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 1988;41(2):115-22.
  4. Kahn KL, Kosecoff J, Chassin MR, Fink A, Flynn MF, Park RE, Pattaphange N, Solomon DH, Brook RH. Measuring the clinical appropriateness of the use of a procedure: Can we do it? Medical Care. 1988 Apr;26(4):415-422.
  5. Kahn KL, Kosecoff J, Chassin, MR, Flynn MF, Bernstein B, Solomon DH, Brook RH. The use and misuse of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1988 Oct 15;109(8):664-670.
  6. Ofman JJ, Etchason J, Fullerton S, Kahn KL, Soll AH. Management strategies for helicobacter pylori-positive dyspepsia: Clinical and economic consequences. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1997 Feb 15;126(4):280-291.
  7. Dulai GS, Farmer MM, Ganz PA, Bernaards CA, Qi K, Dietrich AJ, Bastani R, Belman M, Kahn KL. Primary care provider perceptions of barriers and facilitators to colorectal cancer screening in a managed care setting. Cancer. 2004 May 1,100(9):1843-52.
  8. Ganz PA, Farmer MM, Belman M, Garcia CA, Streja L, Dietrick AJ, Winchell C, Bastani R, Kahn KL. Results of a randomized controlled trial to increase colorectal cancer screening in a managed care health plan. Cancer. 2005 Nov 15;104(10):2072-83.
  9. Schneider EC, Malin JL, Kahn KL, Ko CY, Adams JA, Emanuel EJ, Epstein AM. Surviving colorectal cancer: The relationship between treatments received and the quality of life four years after diagnosis. Cancer. 2007 Nov 1;110(9):2075-82.
  10. Kahn KL, Adams JL, Weeks JC, Chrischilles EA, Schrag D, Ayanian JZ, Kiefe CI, Ganz PA, Bhoopalam N, Potosky AL, Harrington DP, Fletcher RH. Adjuvant Chemotherapy Use and Adverse Events among Older Patients with Stage III Colon Cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2010 Mar 17;303(11):1037-1045. PMCID: PMC2893553.

Contact information

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