Katie Raffel, MD

Associate Professor, Medicine-Hospital Medicine


FacultyPhoto
Graduate School
  • MD, University of Chicago (2013)
Undergraduate School
  • BS, Xavier University (OH) (2009)
Residency
  • University of California (San Francisco)/University of California School of Public Health Program (General Preventive Medicine), Chief Resident, Internal Medicine (2016)
Department
Medicine-Hospital Medicine

Professional Titles

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine

Recognitions

  • Fellow in Hospital Medicine, Society of Hospital Medicine (2021)
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, UCSF Academy of Medical Educators (2018)
  • Teaching Excellence Award for Cherished Housestaff (TEACH), University of California San Francisco SOM (2015)

Research Interests

Dr. Raffel's research efforts have focused on identifying and describing diagnostic error among hospitalized adults. Most recently, she has served as a part of the core research team for an AHRQ-funded multi-site study evaluating diagnostic error among ICU escalations or inpatient death. In the UPSIDE (Using Predictive Systems to identify Inpatient Diagnostic Error) study, over 20 hospital sites are collaborating to review >2,000 triggered cases. This work prompted the formation of the ADEPT (Achieving Diagnostic Excellence through Prevention and Teamwork) collaborative, an effort to better measure diagnostic accuracy among patients with care escalation and death in an effort to create multi-site benchmarking and improvement.

Publications

  • Lim H, Raffel KE, Harrison JD, Kohlwes RJ, Dhaliwal G, Narayana S. Decisions in the Dark: An Educational Intervention to Promote Reflection and Feedback on Night Float Rotations. J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Nov;35(11):3363-3367. PubMed PMID: 32875511
  • Raffel KE, Kantor MA, Barish P, Esmaili A, Lim H, Xue F, Ranji SR. Prevalence and characterisation of diagnostic error among 7-day all-cause hospital medicine readmissions: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Qual Saf. 2020 Dec;29(12):971-979. PubMed PMID: 32753409
  • Raffel KE, Gupta N, Vercammen-Grandjean C, Hohman J, Ranji S, Pierluissi E, Mourad M. A Discharge Time-Out: A Case Study on Physician-Nurse Discharge Communication and the Challenge of Sustainability in Resident-Led Quality Improvement. Am J Med Qual. 2019 Jul Aug;34(4):381-388. PubMed PMID: 30345785
  • Sun F, Lipinsky DeGette R, Cummings EC, Deng LX, Hauser KA, Kopp Z, Penner JC, Scott BS, Raffel KE, Kantor MA. Capturing what matters: A retrospective observational study of advance care planning documentation at an academic medical center during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliat Med. 2021 Dec 17;:2692163211065928. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34920691
  • Kantor MA, Scott BS, Abe-Jones Y, Raffel KE, Thombley R, Mourad M. Ask About What Matters: An Intervention to Improve Accessible Advance Care Planning Documentation. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 Nov;62(5):893-901. PubMed PMID: 34000334
  • Berger AC, Simchoni N, Auerbach A, Brode WM, Kuperman E, Raffel K, Kubey A. Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Academic Medical Centers. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 1;5(4):e225657. PubMed PMID: 35377428
  • Sun F, Lipinsky DeGette R, Cummings EC, Deng LX, Hauser KA, Kopp Z, Penner JC, Scott BS, Raffel KE, Kantor MA. Capturing what matters: A retrospective observational study of advance care planning documentation at an academic medical center during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliat Med. 2022 Feb;36(2):342-347. PubMed PMID: 34920691
  • Kantor MA, Scott BS, Abe-Jones Y, Raffel KE, Thombley R, Mourad M. Ask About What Matters: An Intervention to Improve Accessible Advance Care Planning Documentation. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2021 Nov;62(5):893-901. PubMed PMID: 34000334
  • Salazar JW, Sharpe B, Raffel K. Sunset Rounds: a Framework for Post-death Care in the Hospital. J Gen Intern Med. 2021 Mar;36(3):792-794. PubMed PMID: 33006080
  • Schnipper JL, Raffel KE, Keniston A, Burden M, Glasheen J, Ranji S, Hubbard C, Barish P, Kantor M, Adler-Milstein J, John Boscardin W, Harrison JD, Dalal AK, Lee T, Auerbach A. Achieving diagnostic excellence through prevention and teamwork (ADEPT) study protocol: A multicenter, prospective quality and safety program to improve diagnostic processes in medical inpatients. J Hosp Med. 2023 Dec;18(12):1072-1081. PubMed PMID: 37888951
  • Dalal AK, Schnipper JL, Raffel K, Ranji S, Lee T, Auerbach A. Identifying and classifying diagnostic errors in acute care across hospitals: Early lessons from the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study. J Hosp Med. 2023 May 21. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 37211760
  • Auerbach AD, Astik GJ, O'Leary KJ, Barish PN, Kantor MA, Raffel KR, Ranji SR, Mueller SK, Burney SN, Galinsky J, Gershanik EF, Goyal A, Chitneni PR, Rastegar S, Esmaili AM, Fenton C, Virapongse A, Ngov LK, Burden M, Keniston A, Patel H, Gupta AB, Rohde J, Marr R, Greysen SR, Fang M, Shah P, Mao F, Kaiksow F, Sterken D, Choi JJ, Contractor J, Karwa A, Chia D, Lee T, Hubbard CC, Maselli J, Dalal AK, Schnipper JL. Prevalence and Causes of Diagnostic Errors in Hospitalized Patients Under Investigation for COVID-19. J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Jun;38(8):1902-1910. PubMed PMID: 36952085
  • Burden M, Keniston A, Gundareddy VP, Kauffman R, Keach JW, McBeth L, Raffel KE, Rice JD, Washburn C, Kisuule F. Discharge in the a.m.: A randomized controlled trial of physician rounding styles to improve hospital throughput and length of stay. J Hosp Med. 2023 Apr;18(4):302-315. PubMed PMID: 36797598
  • Berger AC, Simchoni N, Auerbach A, Brode WM, Kuperman E, Raffel K, Kubey A. Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Academic Medical Centers. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 1;5(4):e225657. PubMed PMID: 35377428
  • Raffel KE, Gershanik EF, Ranji SR. Diagnostic disparities and strategies for enhancing diagnostic equity in hospital medicine. J Hosp Med. 2024 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 38654433
  • Brooks KC, Raffel KE, Chia D, Karwa A, Hubbard CC, Auerbach AD, Ranji SR. Stigmatizing Language, Patient Demographics, and Errors in the Diagnostic Process. JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Jun 1;184(6):704-706. PubMed PMID: 38619826
  • Prasad PA, Esmaili AM, Oreper S, Beagle AJ, Hubbard C, Raffel KE, Abe-Jones Y, Fang MC, Liu KD, Matthay MA, Kangelaris KN. Timing of antibiotic treatment identifies distinct clinical presentations among patients presenting with suspected septic shock. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2024 Apr;5(2):e13149. PubMed PMID: 38596320
  • Auerbach AD, Lee TM, Hubbard CC, Ranji SR, Raffel K, Valdes G, Boscardin J, Dalal AK, Harris A, Flynn E, Schnipper JL. Diagnostic Errors in Hospitalized Adults Who Died or Were Transferred to Intensive Care. JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Feb 1;184(2):164-173. PubMed PMID: 38190122
  • Mistry N, Knoeckel J, McBeth L, Johnson A, Bredenberg E, Raffel K, Cunningham J, Sarcone E, Misky G, Stella SA. Prevalence of homelessness among hospitalized patients: A point-in-time survey. J Hosp Med. 2024 Jan;19(1):45-50. PubMed PMID: 38058085
  • Schnipper JL, Raffel KE, Keniston A, Burden M, Glasheen J, Ranji S, Hubbard C, Barish P, Kantor M, Adler-Milstein J, John Boscardin W, Harrison JD, Dalal AK, Lee T, Auerbach A. Achieving diagnostic excellence through prevention and teamwork (ADEPT) study protocol: A multicenter, prospective quality and safety program to improve diagnostic processes in medical inpatients. J Hosp Med. 2023 Dec;18(12):1072-1081. PubMed PMID: 37888951
  • Dalal AK, Schnipper JL, Raffel K, Ranji S, Lee T, Auerbach A. Identifying and classifying diagnostic errors in acute care across hospitals: Early lessons from the Utility of Predictive Systems in Diagnostic Errors (UPSIDE) study. J Hosp Med. 2024 Feb;19(2):140-145. PubMed PMID: 37211760
  • Auerbach AD, Astik GJ, O'Leary KJ, Barish PN, Kantor MA, Raffel KR, Ranji SR, Mueller SK, Burney SN, Galinsky J, Gershanik EF, Goyal A, Chitneni PR, Rastegar S, Esmaili AM, Fenton C, Virapongse A, Ngov LK, Burden M, Keniston A, Patel H, Gupta AB, Rohde J, Marr R, Greysen SR, Fang M, Shah P, Mao F, Kaiksow F, Sterken D, Choi JJ, Contractor J, Karwa A, Chia D, Lee T, Hubbard CC, Maselli J, Dalal AK, Schnipper JL. Prevalence and Causes of Diagnostic Errors in Hospitalized Patients Under Investigation for COVID-19. J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Jun;38(8):1902-1910. PubMed PMID: 36952085
  • Burden M, Keniston A, Gundareddy VP, Kauffman R, Keach JW, McBeth L, Raffel KE, Rice JD, Washburn C, Kisuule F. Discharge in the a.m.: A randomized controlled trial of physician rounding styles to improve hospital throughput and length of stay. J Hosp Med. 2023 Apr;18(4):302-315. PubMed PMID: 36797598
  • Sun F, Lipinsky DeGette R, Cummings EC, Deng LX, Hauser KA, Kopp Z, Penner JC, Scott BS, Raffel KE, Kantor MA. Capturing what matters: A retrospective observational study of advance care planning documentation at an academic medical center during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliat Med. 2022 Feb;36(2):342-347. PubMed PMID: 34920691

Practice Locations

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (UCH)
12605 E. 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
720-848-0000

Specialty Information

Specialties
  • Internal Medicine, Board Certification
  • Learning Health System Coaching Program, UCSF, Other (2019)
  • Diversity Equity Inclusion Training, UCSF, Other (2019)
  • Foundations in Healthcare Leadership, Certificate (2022)
  • Bias Reduction in Internal Medicine Training, Other (2022)
Clinical Interests
Dr. Raffel recognizes the importance of the system of care in achieving excellent patient outcomes. She was one of a small inaugural cohort of faculty within the Learning Health System Coaching program at UCSF. This was a two-year intensive program to enhance faculty Lean Certification, mentorship of residents/fellows and coaching improvement efforts both within their Division and across the health system. Dr. Raffel serves as the Medical Director for Inpatient Medicine Units at UCH. In this role, she leads interprofessional safety and improvement efforts on the five Medicine units (including ACE, Med-Cards). Dr. Raffel currently serves as core faculty at the Institute for Healthcare Quality Safety and Efficiency, an organization dedicated to transforming people, processes and outcomes. In this role, she provides QI/safety education and direct coaching of improvement.