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Nancy C. Elder, MD

Education/Credentials
  • Fellowship: University of Missouri - Columbia (Public Health)
  • Medical Degree: University of Minnesota
  • Bachelor of Science: University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences
  • Residency: Good Samaritan Medical Center (Family Medicine)
Contact Information
Research Interests

Research:  medical errors, patient safety, primary care practice based research, chronic pain, primary care practice improvement.  Clinical practice:  healthcare for the homeless, underserved patients

Clinical Interests

Family Medicine

Peer Reviewed Publications

Elder NC, Imhoff R, Chubinski J, Jacobson CJ, Pallerla H, Saric P, Rotenberg V, Vonder Meulen MB, Leonard AC, Carrozza M, Regan S 2017. Congruence of patient self-rating of health with physician ratings in family medicine offices J Am B Fam Med, 30, 196-204

Hargraves D, White C, Frederick R, Cinibulk M, Peters M, Young A, Elder N 2017. Implementing SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) in Primary Care: lessons learned from a multi-practice evaluation Public Health Reviews , 38 31,

Elder N, Penm M, Pallerla H, Vonder Meulen MB, Short AD, Diers T, Imhoff RJ, Wilson B, & Boone JM 2016. Provision of Recommended Chronic Pain Assessment and Management in Primary Care: Does Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition Make a Difference? Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine: JABFM, 29 4, 474-81

Elder, Nancy C; Hargraves, Daniel; Boone, Jill; Talat, Rehab 2016. Interprofessional Collaborative Care for Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Assessment of Collaboration for Primary Care Patients With Chronic Pain. The Journal of continuing education in the health professions, 36 Suppl 1 , S54-5

Crane S, Sloane PA, Elder NC, Cohen L, Laughtenschlager N, Zimmerman S, Walsh K, 2015. Reporting and using near-miss events to improve patient safety in diverse primary care practices: A collaborative approach to learning from our mistakes. J Am B Fam Med, 28 , 452 - 460

Roberts K; Park T; Elder NC; Regan SL; Theodore SN; Mitchell MJ; Johnson YN 2015. Urban Health Project: A Sustainable and Successful Community Internship Program for Medical Students. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 26 4, 1407-17

Elder NC, Sawyer W, Pallerla H, Khaja, S, Blacker M 2014. Hand hygiene and face touching in family medicine offices: a Cincinnati Area Research and Improvement Group (CARInG) network study. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM, 27 3, 339-46

Elder NC; Jacobson J; Bolon S; Fixler JS; Pallerla H; Busick C; Gerrety E; Kinney D; Regan S; Pugnale M 2014. Patterns of relating between physicians and medical assistants in small family medicine offices Annals Fam Med, 12 2, 150-157

Elder NC; Sawyer W 2014. Response: re: hand hygiene and face touching in family medicine offices: a Cincinnati Area Research and Improvement Group (CARInG) network study. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM, 27 5, 717-8

Elder NC; Tubb MR 2014. Diabetes in homeless persons: barriers and enablers to health as perceived by patients, medical, and social service providers. Social Work in Public Health, 29 3, 220-31

Moushey E; Shomo A; Elder NC; O'Dea C; Rahner D 2014. Community Partnered Projects: Residents engaging with community health centers to improve care Fam Med, 46 9, 718-723

Smucker DR; Regan SL; Elder NC; Gerrety E 2014. Patient Safety Incidents in Home Hospice Care: The Experiences of Hospice Interdisciplinary Team Members. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17 5, 540-44

Elder NC, Barney K 2012. "But what does it mean for me?" Primary care patients' communication preferences for test results notification Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety / Joint Commission Resources, 38 4, 168-76

Elder NC, Simmons T, Regan S, Gerrety E 2012. Care for patients with chronic nonmalignant pain with and without chronic opioid prescriptions: a report from the Cincinnati Area Research Group (CARInG) network Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM, 25 5, 652-60

Horner RD, Szaflarski JP, Jacobson CJ, Elder NC, Bolon S, Matthews G, Ying J, Meganathan K, Raphaelson M. 2011. Clinical Work Intensity Among Physician Specialties: How Might We Assess It? What Do We Find? Medical Care, 49 1, 108-113

Jacobson CJ, Bolon S, Elder NC, Schroer B, Matthews G, Szaflarski J, Raphaelson M, Horner R. 2011. Temporal and Subjective Work Demands in Office Based Patient Care: An exploration of the dimensions of physician work intensity Medical Care, 49 1, 52-58

McEwen TR, Elder NC, Flach JM 2011. Creating Safety in Primary Care Practice with Electronic Medical Records Requires the Consideration of System Dynamics Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2 1, 87-96

Chen ET, Eder M, Elder NC, Hickner J 2010. Crossing the finish line: follow-up of abnormal test results in a multisite community health center Journal of the National Medical Association, 102 8, 720-5

Elder, Nancy C; McEwen, Timothy R; Flach, John; Gallimore, Jennie; Pallerla, Harini 2010. The management of test results in primary care: does an electronic medical record make a difference? Family medicine, 42 5, 327-33

Elder NC, McEwen TR, Flach JM, Gallimore JJ 2009. Management of test results in family medicine offices Annals of Family Medicine, 7 4, 343-51

Elder NC, Brungs SM, Nagy M, Kudel I, Render ML 2008. Intensive care unit nurses' perceptions of safety after a highly specific safety intervention Quality & Safety in Health Care, 17 1, 25-30

Elder NC, Brungs SM, Nagy M, Kudel I, Render ML 2008. Nurses' perceptions of error communication and reporting in the intensive care unit J Pat Safety, 4:162-168 ,

Elder NC, Cegala D, Levin L, Pallerla H, Post D, & Regan SL 2008. Educating seniors to be patient safety self-advocates in primary care Journal of Patient Safety, 4 2, 106-112

Elder NC, McEwen TR, Flach J, Gallimore JJ 2008. Creating safety in the testing process in primary care offices Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches. Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research Publication No. 08-0034(2). July 2008. AHRQ Rockville, MD , , www.ahrq.gov/qual/advances2

Graham DG, Harris DM, Elder NC, Emsermann CB, Brandt E, Staton EW, Hickner J 2008. Mitigation of patient harm from testing errors in family medicine offices: a report from the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network Quality & Safety in Health Care, 17 3, 201-8

Hickner J, Graham DG, Elder NC, Brandt E, Emsermann CB, Dovey S, Phillips R 2008. Testing process errors and their harms and consequences reported from family medicine practices: a study of the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network Quality & Safety in Health Care, 17 3, 194-200

Elder NC 2007. Almost 9: a personal essay on parenting, aniridia, and being a doctor Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM, 20 6, 606-7

Elder NC, Graham D, Brandt E, Hickner J 2007. Barriers and motivators for making error reports from family medicine offices: a report from the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network (AAFP NRN) Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM, 20 2, 115-23

Elder NC, Regan SL, Pallerla H, Levin L, Post D, Cegela DJ 2007. Development of an instrument to measure seniors' patient safety health beliefs: the Seniors Empowerment and Advocacy in Patient Safety (SEAPS) survey Patient Education and Counseling, 69 1-3, 100-7

VanVorst RF, Araya-Guerra R, Felzien M, Fernald D, Elder N, Duclos C, Westfall J 2007. Rural community members' perceptions of harm from medical mistakes J Am B Fam Med, 20: , 135-143

Elder NC, Graham D, Brandt E, Dovey S, Phillips RL, Ledwith J, Hickner JM 2006. The Testing Process in Family Medicine: Problems, Solutions and Barriers as seen by Physicians and Their Staffs: A study of the American Academy of Family Physicians' National Research Network J Patient Safety, 2(1):25-32 ,

Elder NC, Pallerla H, Regan S 2006. What do family physicians consider an error? A comparison of definitions and physician perception BMC family practice, 7 , 73

Elder NC, Ricer R, Tobias B 2006. How respected family physicians manage difficult patient encounters J Am B Fam Med, 2006; 19:533-541 ,

Elder NC, Tobias B, Lucero-Criswell A, Goldenhar L 2006. The art of observation: impact of a family medicine and art museum partnership on student education Family Medicine, 38 6, 393-8

Phillips RL, Dovey SM, Graham D, Elder NC, Hickner JM 2006. Learning from different lenses: Reports of medical errors in primary care by clinicians, staff and patients J Patient Safety, 2(3):140-146 ,

Elder NC, Jacobson CJ, Zink T, Hasse L 2005. How experiencing preventable medical problems changed patients' interactions with primary health care Annals of Family Medicine, 3 6, 537-44

Hickner JM, Fernald DH, Harris DM, Poon EG, Elder NC, Mold JW 2005. Issues and initiatives in the testing process in primary care physician offices Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety / Joint Commission Resources, 31 2, 81-9

Elder NC, Vonder Meulen MB, Cassedy A 2004. The identification of medical errors by family physicians during outpatient visits Annals of Family Medicine, 2 2, 125-9

Zink T, Elder NC, Jacobson J 2004. Medical management of intimate partner violence considering the stages of change Ann Fam Med, 2:231-239 ,

Zink T, Elder NC, Jacobson J 2003. Intimate Partner Violence: How the Children Affect the Mother/Victim's Process Arc of Ped Adol Med, 157:587-592 ,

Elder NC, Dovey SM 2002. Classification of medical errors and preventable adverse events in primary care: a synthesis of the literature The Journal of Family Practice, 51 11, 927-32

Elder NC, Schwarzer A 2002. Using the cinema to understand the family of the alcoholic Fam Med, 2002; 34:426-7 ,

Elder, Nancy C; Schwarzer, Andrew 2002. Using the cinema to understand the family of the alcoholic. Family medicine, 34 6, 426-7

Vinson DC, Elder N, Werner JJ, Vorel LA, Nutting PA 2000. Alcohol-related discussions in primary care J Fam Pract, 49:28-33 ,

Ely JW, Dawson JD, Young PR, Doebbeling BN, Goerdt CJ, Elder NC, Olick RS 1999. Malpractice claims against family physicians are the best doctors sued more? The Journal of Family Practice, 48 1, 23-30

Vetto JT, Elder NC, Toffler WL, Fields SA 1999. Teaching medical students to give bad news: does formal instruction help? Journal of Cancer Education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education, 14 1, 13-17

Elder NC, Gillcrist A, Minz R 1997. Use of alternative health care by family practice patients Archives of Family Medicine, 6 2, 181-4

Elder NC, Taylor A, Anderson CE, Virgin R 1997. Health career orientation of high school students Fam Med, 29(2):108-111 ,

Elder NC, Schwarzer A 1996. Fictional women physicians in the nineteenth century: the struggle for self-identity The Journal of Medical Humanities, 17 3, 165-77

Elder NC, Miller WL 1995. Reading and evaluating qualitative research studies The Journal of Family Practice, 41 3, 279-85

Ely JW, Levinson W, Elder NC, Mainous AG, Vinson DC 1995. Perceived causes of family physicians' errors The Journal of Family Practice, 40 4, 337-44

Salehi SO, Elder NC 1995. Prevalence of cigarette and smokeless tobacco use among students in rural Oregon Family Medicine, 27 2, 122-4

Elder NC, Blake RL 1994. Publication patterns of presentations at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and North American Primary Care Research Group annual meetings Family Medicine, 26 6, 352-5

Elder NC 1992. Acute urinary tract infection in women. What kind of antibiotic therapy is optimal? Postgraduate Medicine, 92 6, 159-62, 165-6, 172

Elder NC 1992. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis. A review Archives of Family Medicine, 1 1, 91-8

Elder NC, Schneider FD, Zweig SC, Peters PG, Ely JW 1992. Community attitudes and knowledge about advance care directives The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice / American Board of Family Practice, 5 6, 565-72

Ely JW, Peters P, Zweig S, Elder NC, Schneider FD 1992. The physician's decision to use tube feedings: The role of the family, the Living Will, and the Cruzan decision J Am Geriatrics Society, 40:471-472 ,

Elder NC 1991. Abuse of skeletal muscle relaxants American Family Physician, 44 4, 1223-6

Elder NC 1991. International perspectives for today's physician The Pharos of Alpha Omega Alpha-Honor Medical Society. Alpha Omega Alpha, 54 4, 8-11

Elder NC 1991. Paper spacer device for inhalers American Family Physician, 44 2, 398, 400

Abstract Publications

Boone J; Elder NC; Short A; Diers T; Vonder Meulen MB; Pallerla H; Hargraves D; Imhoff R; Speer B; Kues J 2016. Minimal versus intensive interprofessional quality improvement for chronic pain management in primary care The Journal of Pain, 17 4, S42, 266


McEwen T, Flach J, Elder NC 2012. ECOLOGICAL INTERFACE FOR ASSESSING CARDIAC DISEASE Proceedings of the ASME 2012 11th Biennial Conference On Engineering Systems Design And, ESDA2012-82974 , 1-8


Vetto JT (presenter), Elder NC, Toffler W, Fields S 1996. Teaching medical students to give bad news: does formal instruction help? 30th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Education, Chicago, IL, October 1996 J Can Educ, 11(3), suppl, p. 97 (Abstract #97) ,