Susan Merel, MD, FACP | Division of General Internal Medicine

Associate Professor

Medicine

Associate Clerkship Director for Explore and Focus Phase, Department of Medicine

Director of Education, Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence

Faculty Information

Biography

Education & Training:

University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine

Chicago, IL

2005

Residency in Internal Medicine, Primary Care Track

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

2005–2008

Fellow, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

2008–2009

Honors:

Award for Excellence in Clinician Education, SGIM Northwest Region

2016

Fellow, American College of Physicians

2018

Contact

Email:

smerel@uw.edu

Research & Clinical Interests

Research Interests:

Teaching serious illness communication to learners at all levels
Improving physician-patient communication
Improving the care of hospitalized elderly patients

Clinical Interests:

Physician-Patient Communication
Geriatrics
Palliative Care
Decisional Capacity

Publications

Publications:

Brauner DJ, Merel SE. How a Model Based on Linguistic Theory Can Improve the Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity for Persons with Dementia. Journal of Clinical Ethics. 2006 Summer; 17(2); 139–148. PMID: 16913149.
Merel SE, McCormick WC. Geriatricians and Hospitalists: Opportunities for Partnership. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Sep; 58(9):1803–1805. PMID: 20863344.
Labella AM, Merel SE, Phelan EA. Ten Ways To Improve the Care of Elderly Patients in the Hospital. J Hosp Med. 2011 Jul-Aug; 6(6):351–357. PMID: 21834118.
Shoeb M*, Merel SE, Jackson MB, Anawalt BD. “Can We Just Stop and Talk?” Patients Value Verbal Communication About Discharge Care Plans. J Hosp Med 2012 Jul-Aug;7:504–507. *trainee. PMID: 22447649.
Merel SE, Murray SB. Decisional Capacity. Hosp Med Clin 2013 Apr;2:e263–273.
Labella AM, Merel SE. Influenza. Medical Clinics of North America 2013 Jul; 97(4):621-45. PMID 23809717.
Merel S, DeMers S, Vig E. Palliative Care in Advanced Dementia. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 2014 Aug; 30(3): 469-92. PMID 25037291.
Merel SE, Stafford MM, White AA, Fligner CF, Amory JK, Hagman MM. Providers’ Beliefs About Expressing Condolences to the Family of a Deceased Patient: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2015 Mar; 18(3): 217-24. PMID 25493629.
Carlson C†, Merel SE, Yukawa M. Geriatric Syndromes and Assessment for the Generalist. Medical Clinics of North America 2015 Mar; 99(2): 263-79. PMID 25700583. †trainee.
Wong CJ, White AA, Merel SE, Brock DM, Staiger TO. A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Publication Types in Quality Improvement Journals. American Journal of Medical Quality 2016 July; 31(4): 364-9. PMID 25753452.
Merel SE††, Meier CA††, McKinney CM, Pottinger PS. Antimicrobial Use in Patients on a Comfort Care Protocol: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Journal of Palliative Medicine 2016 Nov; 19(11):1210-14. PMID 27309999. ††co-first authors.
Merel SE, McKinney CM, Ufkes P†, Kwan AC†, White AA. Sitting at patients’ bedsides may improve patients’ perceptions of physician communication skills. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016 Dec; 11(12): 865-868. PMID 27378679.
Merel SE, Paauw DS. Common drug side effects and drug-drug interactions in elderly patients in primary care. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 July; 65(7):1578-86. PMID 28326532. [invited review].
Bender MA, Kummet C, Merel SE. Grieve and Light a Virtual Candle. Journal of Palliat Med. 2018 July; 21(7): 889. PMID 29975612.
Vig EK, Merel SE. Ethics Education During Palliative Medicine Fellowship. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2019 Dec;36(12):1076-1080. doi: 10.1177/1049909119864300. Epub 2019 Jul 25. PMID: 31342770.
Gibbons LM, Hurd CJ, Merel SE. Online Module Builds Skills for Internal Medicine Interns in Responding to Emotions During Complex Serious Illness Conversations. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 Jun;59(6):1379-1383. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.02.002. Epub 2020 Feb 11. PMID: 32058010.
Wander PL, Orlov M, Merel SE, Enquobahrie D. Risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness in healthcare workers: Too many unknowns. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2020 Apr 27:1-6. PMID: 32336303.
Merel SE, Gaster B. Advance Directives for Dementia Can Elicit Preferences to Improve Patient Care. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jul;68(7):1606-1608. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16492. Epub 2020 May 6. PMID: 32374417.
Merel SE, Spiker M, Stack SW, Paauw DS. “Tell Me More:” Practicing Primary Palliative Care Skills in a Large, Multi-State Internal Medicine Clerkship. J Palliat Med. 2020 May 14. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2020.0032. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32407163.
Jeong L, Smith Z, Longino A, Merel SE, McDonough K. Virtual Peer Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Med Sci Educ. 2020 Sept 9;1-2. PMID: 32929390.
Gibson AW, Gobilot TA, Wang K, Conley E, Coard W, Matsumoto K, Letourneau H, Patel S, Merel SE, Sairenji T, Whipple ME, Ryan MR, Morales LS, Heinen C. A Novel Curriculum for Medical Student Training in LGBTQ Healthcare: A Regional Pathway Experience. J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2020 Oct 26;7:238212050965254. PMID: 33195802.