Dr. Karen Hirschman

Biography

Karen B. Hirschman is a Research Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing, affiliated with the NewCourtland Center for Transitions in Health. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2001 and holds a Master of Social Work degree from the same institution, awarded in 1996. Her research primarily focuses on transitions of care for older adults with multiple chronic conditions, enhancing medical decision-making and palliative care, and alleviating family caregiver burdens, particularly for those caring for individuals with dementia. She has been actively involved in the development and testing of a virtual health coaching intervention aimed at supporting family caregivers of hospitalized older adults. This intervention, 'Virtual Caregiver Coach You,' aims to improve caregiver self-care and reduce stress through evidence-based methodologies. With numerous NIH-funded trials to her credit, she has established a robust framework for implementing the Transitional Care Model, an advanced practice nurse-led model that addresses the needs of high-risk older adults during transitions between healthcare settings. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Gerontology, underscoring her commitment to advancing research and practice in gerontology and nursing education.

Research Interests