Research Interests
My primary research interest is in the care of complex medical patients in primary care, with a specific focus on
the role of mental illness in the primary care setting. I am actively engaged in qualitative work exploring the
experiences of primary care physicians in treating these patients. I am interested in using this qualitative work
to better understand patient complexity from the perspective of primary care physicians. With a better
understanding of patient complexity I plan to study an intervention to help primary care physician care for their
complex medical patient, especially those with mental illness. I am also using quantitative analysis to better
define the role of mental illness in complex medical patients. I am involved in observational quantitative
research using the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey to study the effects of treatment for depression in
patients with both depression and diabetes on both medical expenditures and mental and physical functioning
status.