James Harrison, PhD
Associate Professor
Medicine
School of Medicine

james.harrison@ucsf.edu 415-502-2008

Dr. James Harrison PhD is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. His research program is grounded in a central principle: the co-creation of research with patients, caregivers, clinicians, and health system stakeholders to drive meaningful and sustainable improvements in care.

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Using approaches from implementation science, qualitative methods, and engagement science, he partners with diverse stakeholders to design, evaluate, and scale innovations that improve healthcare delivery in real-world settings.

Dr. Harrison’s work is primarily focused on older adults, with a particular emphasis on improving the safety, quality, and experience of hospital care and care transitions. His research has illuminated critical gaps in how older adults experience hospitalization and transitions to post-acute settings, especially skilled nursing facilities, including unmet communication, diagnostic, and care planning needs. Building on these insights, his program develops and tests patient-centered, stakeholder-informed interventions that place older adults’ goals, preferences, and lived experiences at the center of care delivery.

Dr. Harrison is also a recognized leader in engagement science, leading PCORI-funded studies that define best practices for partnering with patients and community members in research. He has operationalized this work through the creation and leadership of Patient & Family Advisory Councils (PFACs), which serve as infrastructure for sustained patient and community partnerships. A hallmark of his approach to research is his role as a connector across disciplines and health systems, bringing together multidisciplinary teams spanning hospital medicine, geriatrics, surgery, nursing, and national research networks to address complex challenges in the care of hospitalized older adults..

Education & Training

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  • BSc (Hons) Applied Biological Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Certificate in Implementation Science University of California San Francisco
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training University of California San Francisco
  • Lean Process Improvement Champion Training University of California San Francisco
  • MPH Public Health University of New South Wales
  • PhD Health Services & Public Health University of Sydney

Interests

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  • Care Transitions
  • Patient and community engagement
  • Hospital Medicine
  • Geriatrics
  • Implementation Science

Websites

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Grants and Projects

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Publications (119)

Top publication keywords:
Skilled Nursing FacilitiesStakeholder ParticipationPatient Care TeamAdvisory CommitteesRectal NeoplasmsContinuity of Patient CareHospitalistsTeaching RoundsAcademic Medical CentersPatient SatisfactionPatient ParticipationHospital MedicineTelephonePatient DischargePatient Transfer

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