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Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, FAAHPM

Dr. Diane E. Meier, FACP, FAAHPM, is Director Emerita and Strategic Medical Advisor of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, a national organization devoted to increasing access to quality health care in the United States for people living with serious illness. Under her leadership the number of palliative care programs in U.S. hospitals tripled since 2002.

Widely regarded as a preeminent change agent, Dr. Meier has received numerous awards that recognize and celebrate her achievements. In September 2008, Dr. Meier was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (MacArthur Genius Award). She was named one of “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better in the United States” by HealthLeaders Media in 2010, and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013. In 2017 she received both the Gustav O. Lienhard Award of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Hospital Association’s HRET TRUST Award. Dr. Meier served as a Health and Aging Policy Fellow in Washington, DC, in 2009–10, working on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) and at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Meier has published more than two hundred works in peer-reviewed medical literature. Her most recent book, Meeting the Needs of Older Adults with Serious Illness: Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of Health Reform, was published by Humana in 2014. She has been featured in the media numerous times, including the PBS NewsHour Brief But Spectacular and the New York Times Magazine.

Books:

  • Kelley AS, Meier DE, (eds.). Meeting the Needs of Older Adults with Serious Illness: Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of Health Care Reform. Humana Press: 2014. ISBN 9781493904068
  • Hughes RG, Isaacs SL, Meier DE, (eds). Palliative Care: Transforming the Care of Serious Illness. Wiley/Jossey-Bass: March 2010. ISBN 9780470527177
  • Cassel CK, Leipzig RM, Cohen HJ, Larson EB, Meier DE, (eds). Geriatric Medicine. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 0387955143
  • Cassel CK, Leipzig RM, Cohen HJ, Larson EB, Meier DE, eds. Geriatric Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach. 4th ed. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2003. ISBN 0387955143
  • Morrison RS, Meier DE (eds). Geriatric Palliative Care. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 0195141911

Selected Publications:

  • Meier DE, Lim B, Carlson MD. Raising the standard: palliative care in nursing homes. Health Affairs (Millwood) 2010 Jan-Feb;29(1):136-40. PMID 20048372
  • Adler ED, Goldfinger JZ, Kalman J, Park ME, Meier DE. Palliative care in the treatment of advanced heart failure. Circulation 2009 Dec 22;120(25):2597-606. Review. PMID 20026792
  • Weissman DE, Meier DE. Operational features for hospital palliative care programs: consensus recommendations. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2008 Nov;11(9):1189-94. PMID 19021479
  • Morrison RS, Meier DE, Fischberg D, Moore C, Degenholtz H, Litke A, Maroney-Galin C, Siu AL. Improving the management of pain in hospitalized adults. Archives of Internal Medicine 2006;166:1033-1039.
  • Meier DE. Palliative care as a quality improvement strategy for advanced, chronic illness. Journal of Healthcare Quality 2005;27: 33-39.
  • Meier, DE; Morrison, RS. Palliative Care. New England Journal of Medicine 2004 (June)
  • Meier DE; Thar W; Jordan A; Goldhirsch SL; Siu A; Morrison RS. Integrating case management and palliative care. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2004; Feb. 7(1):119-134
  • Meier DE, Morrison RS. Autonomy reconsidered. New England Journal of Medicine 2002 Apr 4;346(14):1087-1089
  • Meier DE, Back AL, Morrison RS. The inner life of physicians and care of the seriously ill. JAMA 2001 Dec 19;286(23):3007-3014
  • Morrison R, Siu A, Leipzig R, Cassel C, Meier D. The hard task of improving the quality of care at the end of life. Archives of Internal Medicine 2000 Mar 27;160(6):743-7

Selected Original Peer-Reviewed Reports:

  • Cassel JB, Spragens L, Bowman B, Rogers M, Meier DE. Palliative Care Leadership Centers are key to the diffusion of palliative care innovation. Health Affairs 2018;37:231-9.
  • Meier DE, Back AL, Berman A, Block SD, Corrigan JM, Morrison RS. A national strategy for palliative care. Health Affairs 2017;36(7):1265-73.
  • Spetz J, Dudley N, Trupin L, Rogers M, Meier DE, Dumanovsky T. Few hospital palliative care teams meet national staffing recommendations. Health Affairs 2016;35:1690-7.
  • Meier DE. Measuring quality of care for the sickest patients. NEJM Catalyst February 2016 - http://catalyst.nejm.org/measuring-quality-of-care-for-the-sickest-patients/
  • Dumanovsky T, Rogers M, Spragens LH, Morrison RS, Meier DE. Impact of staffing on access to palliative care in U.S. hospitals. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2015;18:998-9.
  • Peter May, Melissa M Garrido, J Brian Cassel, Amy Kelley, Diane E. Meier, Charles Normand, Thomas J Smith, Lee Stefanis, and R. Sean Morrison. Prospective cohort study of hospital palliative care teams for inpatients with advanced cancer: earlier consultation is associated with larger cost-saving effect. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2015;33:1-10.
  • Meier DE. Focusing together on the needs of the sickest 5%, who drive half of all healthcare spending. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2014;62:1970-72.
  • Meier DE. ‘I don’t want Jenny to think I’m abandoning her’: views on overtreatment. Health Affairs 2014;33(8):1492
  • Tamura MK, Meier DE. Five policies to promote palliative care for patients with end stage renal disease. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 2013, June 6.
  • Unroe K, Meier DE. Quality of hospice care for individuals with dementia. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2013; 61:1212-14.
  • Smith TJ, Temin S, Alesi ER, Abernethy AP, Balboni TA, Basch EM, Ferrell BR, Loscalzo M, Meier DE et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology provisional clinical opinion: the integration of palliative care into standard oncology care. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2012;30:880-7.
  • Morrison RS, Augustin R, Souvanna P, Meier DE. America’s care of serious illness: a state-by-state report card on access to palliative care in our nation’s hospitals. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2011; 14:1094-6.
  • Meier DE. Increased access to palliative care and hospice: Opportunities to improve value in healthcare. Millbank Quarterly 2011;89:343-380.
  • Morrison RS, Dietrich J, Ladwig S, Quill T, Sacco J, Tangeman J, Meier DE. Palliative care consultation teams reduce hospital costs for Medicaid beneficiaries. Health Affairs 2011;30:454-463.
  • Carlson MD, Lim B, Meier DE. Strategies and innovations for delivering palliative care in nursing homes. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 2011;12:91-98.
  • Kelley A, Meier DE. Palliative care: A shifting paradigm. New England Journal of Medicine 2010;363:781-2.
  • Meier DE, Lim B, Carlson, MD. Raising the standard: Palliative care in nursing homes. Health Affairs 2010;29:136-40.

See all Leadership and CAPC Team

From the Blog

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Dr. Diane Meier on the History and Future of Palliative Care Research

Why Diane Meier, MD, is excited about the future of palliative care research and was inspired by the 2024 AAHPM State of the Science keynote.

Leadership

In Memory of Jim Block, MD

Diane E. Meier, MD, and friends write a loving tribute to their longtime friend and colleague, Jim Block, MD, sharing memories and lessons learned throughout the years.

Leadership

Diane Meier Announces April Leadership Transition

A letter from Dr. Meier sharing that Brynn Bowman will become Executive Director of CAPC.

Courses

Available to non-members
Introduction to Palliative Care for Health Professionals

An introduction to palliative care, how it is delivered, its impact on quality of life, and the growing population of patients who need it.

Course 1: Comprehensive Pain Assessment

Course 1 of 14

Conducting a comprehensive pain assessment to guide safe and effective treatment.

Course 2: Matching the Drug Class to the Pain

Course 2 of 14

Selecting a safe and appropriate analgesic for patients with serious illness based on the pain assessment.

Course 3: Patient Factors that Influence Prescribing Decisions

Course 3 of 14

Patient and family factors that influence prescribing decisions for patients with serious illness.

Course 4: Assessing Risk for Opioid Substance Use Disorder

Course 4 of 14

Integrating routine risk assessment for substance use disorder when considering or using opioid therapy.

Course 5: Opioid Trials: Determining Design, Efficacy, and Safety

Course 5 of 14

Designing a safe and effective opioid trial for the patient with serious illness.

Course 6: Prescribing An Opioid

Course 6 of 14

Safe and appropriate opioid prescribing for the opioid-naive patient with serious illness.

Course 7: Prescribing Short-Acting Opioids: Four Case Studies

Course 7 of 14

Four indications for using short-acting opioids.

Course 8: Monitoring for Opioid Efficacy, Side Effects, and Substance Use Disorder

Course 8 of 14

Ongoing evaluation of opioid benefits, risks, and side effects for the patient with serious illness.

Course 9: Converting from Short-Acting to Long-Acting Opioids

Course 9 of 14

Guidance on safe conversion to long-acting opioids for patients with serious illness.

Course 10: Prescribing Practice and Opioid Conversions

Course 10 of 14

Prescribing practice for long half-life opioids, converting from one opioid to another, and accounting for incomplete cross-tolerance.

Course 11: Advanced Conversions and Opioid Side Effects

Course 11 of 14

Changing the route of opioid delivery, rotating opioids, advanced opioid conversions, and tapering opioids.

Course 12: Special Populations And Patient-Controlled Analgesia

Course 12 of 14

Safe opioid prescribing in older adults, cognitively impaired patients, children, and the imminently dying, including patient-controlled analgesia.

Course 13: Managing Pain in Patients At Risk for Substance Use Disorder

Course 13 of 14

Pain management for patients with serious illness and high risk for substance use disorder, including risk assessment, monitoring, and when to refer for safe pain management.

Course 14: Pain Management: Putting it All Together

Course 14 of 14

Safe opioid prescribing for patients with serious illness, using the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Guidelines for the Chronic Use of Opioid Analgesics.

Anxiety in Patients with Serious Illness

Take this online course to learn evidence-based strategies to identify and treat anxiety in patients with a serious illness.

Constipation in Patients with Serious Illness

Constipation occurs in at least 70% of patients living with a serious illness and often goes unrecognized. Take this online course to learn critical skills to identify and manage the impact of constipation.

Depression in Patients with Serious Illness

This online course teaches how to accurately identify and treat depression in patients living with a serious illness.

Dyspnea in Patients with Serious Illness

Take this online course to learn how to manage dyspnea, including the physical causes of shortness of breath and the emotional impact on the patient.

Nausea and Vomiting in Patients with Serious Illness

Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of serious illness, and can cause dangerous complications. Take this online course to learn practical skills to identify, manage, and reduce these symptoms.

Discussing Serious News

Course 1 of 5

Learn best practices for having patient-centered conversations about a serious illness diagnosis.

Discussing Prognosis With Patients and Caregivers

Course 2 of 5

Learn how to effectively discuss prognosis with patients and their caregivers.

Clarifying Patient Goals of Care

Course 3 of 5

Learn best practices for building trust, eliciting patient values, and having patient-centered conversations about goals of care.

Leading a Patient and Caregiver Meeting

Course 4 of 5

Learn to effectively lead meetings that help patients and caregivers become aligned around the patient’s goals.

Care Planning

Course 5 of 5

Learn techniques to help patients and their caregivers plan for the future, both during the early stages of a serious illness and as a disease progresses.

Relieving Distress in People Living With Dementia and Their Caregivers

Course 1 of 8

Gain an overview of the experience of living with dementia and learn how to relieve distress for patients with dementia, and their caregivers.

Discussing a Diagnosis of Dementia With Your Patient

Course 2 of 8

Learn how to discuss a dementia diagnosis with patients and caregivers in a way that is sensitive, clear, and supportive.

Communicating What to Expect Throughout the Trajectory of Dementia

Course 3 of 8

Learn techniques for supportive communication with people living with dementia, and their caregivers, to help them prepare for the challenges they may face as dementia progresses.

Planning for the Future After a Dementia Diagnosis

Course 4 of 8

Learn how to facilitate future planning discussions with people living with dementia, and their caregivers.

Available to non-members
Caring for Caregivers of People Living With Dementia

Course 5 of 8

Learn how to assess caregiver burden and connect caregivers with needed support systems.

Behaviors as a Form of Communication in People Living With Dementia

Course 6 of 8

Learn about the sources of behavioral symptoms for people living with dementia and how to respond to them.

Managing Mood and Sleep Disturbances in People Living With Dementia

Course 7 of 8

Learn how to relieve suffering from common mood and sleep disturbances in order to improve quality of life for people living with dementia, and caregivers.

Managing Complications in Advanced Dementia

Course 8 of 8

Learn about common health complications for people living with advanced dementia and how to support patients and caregivers.

Reducing Risks for Older Adults

This course provides context and best practices for identifying older adults at risk for poor outcomes, including falls, delirium, and caregiving challenges.

Supporting the Family Caregiver: The Burden of Serious Illness

Assessing and supporting caregivers of people with serious illness.

Care Coordination

Guidance for all clinicians on improving communication and ensuring smooth transitions of care for patients living with serious illness.

Non-Opioid Chronic Pain Management

Course 1 of 4

Clinical training on the biological basis of chronic pain, building patient trust, and non-pharmacological and non-opioid treatments for managing chronic pain in patients with serious illness.

Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain

Course 2 of 4

Clinical training on prescribing an opioid trial for the management of a seriously ill patient's chronic pain.

Risk Mitigation Strategies for Opioid Prescribing

Course 3 of 4

Clinical training course on universal precautions to identify and assess opioid misuse, and prevent opioid use disorder (OUD) in patients with serious illness.

Treatment Strategies for Opioid Use Disorder

Course 4 of 4

Clinical training course for identifying and managing opioid use disorder (OUD) in patients with serious illness, and treating pain in seriously ill patients with OUD.

A Palliative Approach to Care for Direct Care Workers

The role of the direct care worker in observing and reporting suffering in patients with serious illness.

Needs Assessment for the Hospital Palliative Care Program

Evaluating patient need, service requirements, and stakeholder priorities for the inpatient program.

Hospital Palliative Care Program Design

Incorporating needs assessment and stakeholder priorities into design of a high-quality inpatient program.

Building the Business Plan for Your Hospital Program

Building a budget and a business plan for the inpatient program. Includes business planning tools.

Introduction to Palliative Care in the Community

Defining community-based palliative care: which patients need it, how it is delivered, and how it differs from inpatient palliative care.

Needs Assessment: Ensuring Successful Community-Based Palliative Care

Evaluating patient need, service requirements, care settings, and stakeholder priorities for the community-based palliative care program.

Office-Based Palliative Care Program Design

Designing and implementing an office-based palliative care program, including clinical model and operational considerations.

Program Design for Palliative Care Delivered in the Home

Translating needs assessment into service design for the community-based palliative care program.

Building the Business Plan for Community-Based Palliative Care

Building a budget and a business plan for the community-based program. Includes business planning tools.

Improving Team Performance

Strategic planning for new or veteran programs, and a framework for identification of barriers to team efficiency and team health.

Consult Etiquette: Communicating with Referring Providers

Guidance for palliative care teams to build collaborative relationships with referrers.

Hire and onboard your staff, manage program operations, and ensure a healthy high-functioning team using this toolkit. Includes 73 resources.
Training and clinical tools for oncology clinicians from all disciplines. Includes 23 resources.
This toolkit provides online courses and resources for care managers to meet the needs of patients with serious illness. Includes 14 resources.
Addressing the physical, psychological, and social impacts of serious illness, as well as the functioning of a healthy interdisciplinary team. Includes 55 resources.
Skills training and clinical tools to support the care of patients with serious illness, and their families. Includes 12 resources.
Tools to make the case for palliative care resources and financial partnerships, including the palliative care evidence base and downloadable tools for presenting the case. Includes 27 resources.
Practical tools and technical assistance for starting or growing a home-based palliative care program, from needs assessment to business planning, and more. Includes 96 resources.
Tools and technical assistance for starting or expanding a hospital palliative care service. Includes 24 resources.
Use this toolkit to evaluate models and design and operate a long-term care palliative care program. Includes 33 resources.
Tools and technical assistance for developing a palliative care program in a community clinic or office setting. Includes 36 resources.
Strategic planning for program growth, including making the case, demonstrating value, and strengthening relationships with partners. Includes 22 resources.
Training and clinical tools for hospitalists to improve quality of life for patients living with serious illness and complex need. Includes 31 resources.
Training clinicians to support people with dementia and their caregivers, and guidance for quality improvement initiatives. Includes 23 resources.
Improving operations and training clinical staff to identify, stratify, and meet the needs of patients living with serious illness at the population level. Includes 24 resources.
Integrating palliative care practices in the Emergency Department (ED) through training and collaboration. Includes 29 resources.
Integrating palliative care practices in the ICU through training and collaboration. Includes 35 resources.
Toolkit to support strategic planning, team leadership, and professional development for the palliative care leader. Includes 30 resources.
Improving productivity and efficiency to ensure team health and operating within budget. Includes 22 resources.
Use this toolkit to select program measures that demonstrate value to stakeholders and support quality care delivery. Overcome common measurement obstacles and synthesize program data. Includes 14 resources.
Toolkit with billing and coding best practices for palliative care services delivered in the hospital or the community. Includes 47 resources.
Recommended policy improvements at the federal level. Includes 25 resources.
Implementing change at the state level. Includes 40 resources.
Information for clinicians from all disciplines about specialty certification, and for teams about program certification. Includes 12 resources.
Toolkit for finding the right patients at the right time to address gaps in care. Includes 53 resources.
Guidance on program design and program operations for the pediatric palliative care program. Includes 72 resources.
A process and tools for stabilizing and strengthening palliative care programs during COVID-19. Includes 6 resources.
Use this toolkit to develop new programs and benefits for members with serious illness while driving improvements throughout the provider network. Includes 19 resources.
A coordinated effort to develop a national strategic plan to incentivize the delivery of high-quality care for people living with a serious illness. Includes 12 resources.
Tools for translating operational and service decisions into a realistic budget and business plan. Includes 11 resources.
Tools to design and implement a training initiative for care teams from all specialties, to improve quality of life for patients and families living with serious illness. Includes 27 resources.
Tools to help payers, policymakers, and providers understand best practices for delivering quality care during a serious illness, and to identify certifications that demonstrate adherence to third-party quality standards. Includes 34 resources.
These tools can be used to make the case for palliative care investment with organization leaders, health plans, colleagues, and community partners. Includes 22 resources.

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