UCSF Department Of Medicine | Division of Geriatrics

Dr. Kenneth Covinsky is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics. He graduated medical school at UCSF, completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins, and his fellowship in General Internal Medicine and Health Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Hospital. Dr. Covinsky was recruited back to UCSF in 1998 to lead and develop the vision for the division's research programs. Under the leadership of Dr. Covinsky and Division Chief Seth Landefeld, the division has developed a vibrant, nationally-recognized research program dedicated to improving the quality of life and the quality of health care in the elderly.

Dr. Covinsky leads the division's research training and mentoring programs, conducts his own research program funded by the National Institute on Aging, and cares for patients in the San Francisco VAMC Geriatrics Clinic and inpatient medical service. He is a national expert in prognostic modeling for elders and in the critical role that functional status plays in health outcomes. In addition, he has won several prestigious awards that recognize his accomplishments mentoring fellows and faculty in aging research.

Research Activities

Dr. Covinsky's research focuses on understanding the determinants of health outcomes in older persons. His work has shows how to combine information about medical, psychological, social, and economic factors to predict health outcomes. He combines this information into prognostic models that can be used to improve health care in older persons.

Dr. Covinsky has special expertise in disability, or the ability of older persons to function independently. In a series of high-impact studies, he has shown that the functional status of older people, such as the degree of difficulty doing basic activities of daily living, is a more important predictor of health outcomes than a person's illness diagnoses. This work has been used to teach health professionals the importance of asking their patients about functional difficulties. His research has identified a number of factors that predict disability such as depression. His work has also shown that older persons who are hospitalized often become disabled after hospitalization, even when the medical illness that precipitated hospitalization improves.

Dr. Covinsky's clinical activities are based at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. He has an outpatient practice focused on the care of older patients. He also attends and teaches on the inpatient medical service.

Selected Publications

Effect of arthritis in middle age on older-age functioning. Covinsky KE, Lindquist K, Dunlop DD, Gill TM, Yelin E. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Jan;56(1):23-8.
Envisioning better approaches for dementia care. Covinsky KE, Johnston CB. Ann Intern Med. 2006 Nov 21;145(10):780-1. No abstract available.
Development and validation of a prognostic index for 4-year mortality in older adults. Lee SJ, Lindquist K, Segal MR, Covinsky KE. JAMA. 2006 Feb 15;295(7):801-8. Erratum in: JAMA. 2006 Apr 26;295(16):1900.
Development and validation of an index to predict activity of daily living dependence in community-dwelling elders. Covinsky KE, Hilton J, Lindquist K, Dudley RA. Med Care. 2006 Feb;44(2):149-57.
Development and validation of a functional morbidity index to predict mortality in community-dwelling elders. Carey EC, Walter LC, Lindquist K, Covinsky KE. J Gen Intern Med. 2004 Oct;19(10):1027-33.
Patient and caregiver characteristics associated with depression in caregivers of patients with dementia. Covinsky KE, Newcomer R, Fox P, Wood J, Sands L, Dane K, Yaffe K. J Gen Intern Med. 2003 Dec;18(12):1006-14.
Loss of independence in activities of daily living in older adults hospitalized with medical illnesses: increased vulnerability with age. Covinsky KE, Palmer RM, Fortinsky RH, Counsell SR, Stewart AL, Kresevic D, Burant CJ, Landefeld CS. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2003 Apr;51(4):451-8.
Cancer screening in elderly patients: a framework for individualized decision making. Walter LC, Covinsky KE. JAMA. 2001 Jun 6;285(21):2750-6.
Depressive symptoms and 3-year mortality in older hospitalized medical patients. Covinsky KE, Kahana E, Chin MH, Palmer RM, Fortinsky RH, Landefeld CS. Ann Intern Med. 1999 Apr 6;130(7):563-9.
The impact of serious illness on patients' families. SUPPORT Investigators. Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatment. Covinsky KE, Goldman L, Cook EF, Oye R, Desbiens N, Reding D, Fulkerson W, Connors AF Jr, Lynn J, Phillips RS. JAMA. 1994 Dec 21;272(23):1839-44.