Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of Geriatrics
Director, UCSF-Mt. Zion Center on Aging
Associate Chair for Strategic Planning and Implementation, Department of Medicine

Contact Information

Office Address:
UCSF
3333 California Street, Suite 380
UCSF Box 1265
San Francisco, CA 94143-1265

SFVAMC
4150 Clement Street  
UCSF Box VA-181G
San Francisco, CA 94121

Phone: (415) 476-0605
Fax: (415) 514-0702
Email: sethl@medicine.ucsf.edu

Click here to download Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

Areas of Specialization & Scholarly Interest

Improving functional outcomes of hospitalized older persons

Pharmacotherapy in older persons

Financial conflicts of interest

Faculty development

The effectiveness and efficiency of health care

Selected Publications/Presentations

Improving Health Care

1. Landefeld CS, Chren MM, Myers A, Geller R, Robbins S, Goldman L.  Diagnostic yield of the autopsy in a university hospital and a community hospital.  N Engl J Med 1988; 318:1249-1254.
   
   
2. Landefeld CS, Anderson PA, Goodnough LT, Moir TW, Hom DL, Rosenblatt MW, Goldman L.  The bleeding severity index: validation and comparison to other methods for classifying bleeding complications of medical therapy.  J Clin Epidem 1989; 42:711-718.
   
   
3. Landefeld CS, McGuire E, Rosenblatt MW.  A bleeding risk index for estimating the probability of major bleeding in hospitalized patients starting anticoagulant therapy.  Am J Med 1990; 89:569-578.
   
   
4. Landefeld CS, Anderson PA: Guideline-based consultation to prevent anticoagulant-related bleeding: A randomized, controlled trial in a teaching hospital.  Ann Intern Med 1992; 116:829-37.
   
   
5. Rosenthal GE, Halloran EJ, Kiley M, Pinkley C, Landefeld CS.  Development and validation of the Nursing Severity Index: A new method for measuring severity of illness using nursing diagnosis. Med Care 1992; 30:1127-1141.
   
   
6. O’Toole EE, Youngner SJ, Juknialis BW, Daly B, Bartlett ET, Landefeld CS.  Evaluation of a treatment limitation policy with a separate treatment-limiting order page.  Arch Intern Med 1994; 154:425-432.
   
   
7. Landefeld CS, Palmer RM, Kresevic D, Fortinsky RH, Kowal J.  A randomized trial of care in a hospital medical unit especially designed to improve the functional outcomes of acutely ill older patients.  N Engl J Med 1995; 332:1338-1344.
   
   
8. Antani MR, Beyth RJ, Covinsky KE, Anderson PA, Miller DG, Cebul RD, Quinn LM, Landefeld CS.  Failure to prescribe warfarin to patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation.  J Gen Intern Med 1996; 11:713-720.
   
   
9. Beyth RJ, Antani MR, Covinsky KE, Miller DG, Chren, MM, Quinn LM, Landefeld CS.  Why isn’t warfarin prescribed to patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation?  J Gen Intern Med 1996; 11:721-728.
   
   
10. Covinsky KE, Fortinsky RH, Palmer RM, Kresevic DM, Landefeld CS.  The relationship of depressive symptoms to health status outcomes in acutely ill hospitalized elders.  Ann Intern Med 1997; 126:417-425.
    
    
11. Beyth RJ, Quinn LM, Landefeld CS. Prospective evaluation of an index for predicting the risk of major bleeding in outpatients treated with warfarin. Am J Med  1998;105:91-9.
    
    
12. Covinsky KE, Kahana E, Chin MH, Palmer RM, Fortinsky RH, Landefeld CS. Depressive symptoms and 3-year mortality in older hospitalized medical patients.  Ann Intern Med  1999;130:563-9.
    
    
13. Fortinsky RH, Covinsky KE, Palmer RM, Landefeld CS. Effects of functional status changes before and during hospitalization on nursing home admission of older adults. J Gerontology 1999; 54: M521-6.
    
    
14. Beyth RJ, Quinn L, Landefeld CS.  A multicomponent intervention to prevent major bleeding complications in older patients receiving warfarin. A randomized, controlled trial.  Ann Intern Med. 2000; 133: 687-95.
    
    
15. Counsell SR, Holder CM, Liebenauer LL, Palmer RM, Fortinsky RH, Kresevic DM, Quinn LM, Allen KR, Covinsky KE, Landefeld CS.  Effects of a multicomponent intervention on functional outcomes and process of care in hospitalized older patients: a randomized controlled trial of Acute Care for Elders (ACE) in a community hospital.  J Am Geriatr Soc 2000; 48:1572-81.
    
    
16. Pioro MH, Landefeld CS, Brennan PF, Daly B, Fortinsky, RH, Kim U, Rosenthal GE.  Outcomes-based trial of an inpatient nurse practitioner service for general medical patients; Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 2001; 7:21-33.
    
    
17. Walter LC, Brand RJ, Counsell SR, Palmer RM, Landefeld CS, Fortinsky RH, Covinsky KE. Development and validation of a prognostic index for 1-year mortality in older adults after hospitalization. JAMA 2001; 285: 2987-94. 
    
    
18. Covinsky KE, Palmer RM, Fortinsky RH, Counsell SR, Stewart AL, Kresevic D, Burant CJ, Landefeld CS.  Loss of independence in activities of daily living in older adults hospitalized with medical illnesses:  Increased vulnerability with age.  J Am Geriatr Soc 2003; 51: 451-8.
    
    
19. Pierluissi E, Fischer MA, Campbell AR, Landefeld CS.  Discussion of medical errors in Morbidity and Mortality Conference.  JAMA 2003; 290: 2838-42.
    
    
20. Li AK, Covinsky KE, Sands LP, Fortinsky RH, Counsell SR, Landefeld CS.  Reports of financial disability predict functional decline and death in older patients discharged from the hospital.  J Gen Intern Med 2005;20:168-74.
    
    
21. Steinman MA, Rosenthal GE, Landefeld CS, Bertenthal D, Sen S, Kaboli PJ.  Conflicts and concordance between measures of prescribing quality.  Med Care 2007; 45: 95-9.
    
    
22. Holroyd-Leduc JM, Sen S, Bertenthal D, Sands LP, Palmer RM, Kresevic D, Covinsky KE, Landefeld CS.  The relationship of indwelling urinary catheters to death, length of hospital stay, functional decline and nursing home admission in hospitalized older medical patients.  J Am Geriatr Soc 2007; 55: 227-33.
    
    
23. Lindner SA, Davoren JB, Vollmer A, Williams B, Landefeld CS.  An Electronic Medical Record Intervention Increased Nursing Home Advance Directive Orders and Documentation.  J Am Geriatr Soc 2007; 55: 1001-6.
    
    
24. Sudore RL, Landefeld CS, Barnes DE, Lindquist K, Williams BA, Brody R, Schillinger.  An advance directive redesigned to meet the literacy level of most adults: A randomized trial.  Patient Education and Counseling 2007; Oct 15; [Epub ahead of print].
    
    
25. Auerbach AD, Landefeld CS, Shojania KG.  The tension between needing to improve care and knowing how to do it.  N Engl J Med 2007;357(6):608-13.
    
    
26. Landefeld CS, Bowers BJ, Feld AD, Hartmann KE, Hoffman E, Ingber MJ, King JT, McDougal WS, Nelson H, Orav EJ, Pignone M, Richardson LH, Rohrbaugh RM, Siebens HC, Trock BJ.  National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Statement: Prevention of fecal and urinary incontinence in adults.  Ann Intern Med 2008; 148: 449-58.
    
    
27. Boyd CM, Landefeld CS, Counsell SR, Palmer RM, Fortinsky RH, Kresevic D, Burant C, Covinsky K.  Recovery in activities of daily living among older adults following hospitalization for acute medical illness.  J Am Geriatr Soc 2008; 56: 2171-9.
    
    
28. Steinman MA, Rosenthal GE, Landefeld CS, Bertenthal D, Kaboli PJ.  Agreement between drugs-to-avoid criteria and expert assessments of problematic prescribing.  Arch Intern Med 2009; 169:1326-32.
    
    
29. O'Hare AM, Kaufman JS, Covinsky KE, Landefeld CS, McFarland LV, Larson EB.  Current guidelines for using angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II-receptor antagonists in chronic kidney disease: is the evidence base relevant to older adults?  Ann Intern Med 2009;150:717-24.
    
    
30. Tamura MK, Covinsky KE, Chertow GM, Yaffe K, Landefeld CS, McCulloch CE.  Functional status of nursing home residents pre and post dialysis initiation.  N Engl J Med 2009; 361: 1539-47.

Informing Health Policy

1. Youngner SJ, Landefeld CS, Coulton CJ, Juknialis BW, Leary M.  ‘Brain death’ and organ retrieval: A cross-sectional survey of knowledge and concepts among health professionals.  JAMA 1989; 261:2205-2210.
   
   
2. Chren MM, Landefeld CS, Murray TH.  Doctors, drug companies, and gifts.  JAMA 1989; 262:3448-3451.
   
   
3. Landefeld CS.  The spring meetings: Are they dying?  N Engl J Med 1993; 308:1645-1647.
   
   
4. Chren MM, Landefeld CS.  Physicians’ behavior and their interactions with drug companies; A controlled study of physicians who requested additions to a hospital drug formulary.  JAMA 1994; 271:684-689.
   
   
5. Chren MM, Landefeld CS.  A cost analysis of topical drug regimens for dermatophyte infections.  JAMA 1994; 272:1922-1925.
   
   
6. Rosenthal GE, Chren MM, Lasek RL, Landefeld CS.  The “annual guide” to “America’s best hospitals”: Evidence of influence among health care leaders.  J Gen Intern Med 1996; 11:366-369.
   
   
7. Covinsky KE, King, Jr. JT, Quinn L, Siddique R, Palmer R, Kresevic D, Fortinsky RH, Kowal J,  Landefeld CS.  Do Acute Care for Elders Units increase hospital costs?: A cost analysis using the hospital perspective.  J Am Geriatr Soc 1997; 45:1-6.
   
   
8. Sobecks NW, Justice AC, Hinze S, Chirayath HT, Lasek RJ, Chren MM, Aucott J, Juknialis B, Fortinsky R, Youngner S, Landefeld CS. When doctors marry doctors: a survey exploring the professional and family lives of young physicians. Ann Intern Med 1999;130:312-9.
   
   
9. Steinman MA, Gonzales R, Linder JA, Landefeld CS.  Changing use of antibiotics in community-based outpatient practice: 1991-1999.  Ann Intern Med 2003; 138: 525-33.
   
   
10. Steinman MA, Bero LA, Chren MM, Landefeld CS.  The promotion of gabapentin:  An analysis of internal industry documents.  Ann Intern Med 2006; 145: 284-93.
    
    
11. Williams BC, Weber V, Babbott SF, Kirk LM, Heflin MT, O’Toole E, Schapira MM, Eckstrom E, Tulsky A, Wolf AM, Landefeld S.  Faculty development for the 21st century:  Lessons from the SGIM-Hartford Collaborative Centers for the Care of Older Adults.  J Am Geriatr Soc 2007; 55: 941-7.
    
    
12. Norris SL, High K, Gill TM, Hennessy S, Kutner JS, Reuben DB, Unutzer J, Landefeld CS.  Health care for Older Americans with multiple chronic conditions:  a research agenda.  J Am Geriatr Soc.  2008; 56: 149-59.
    
    
13. Kernisan LP, Lee SJ, Boscardin WJ, Landefeld CS, Dudley RA.  Association between hospital-reported Leapfrog Safe Practices Scores and inpatient mortality.  JAMA. 2009; 301:1341-8.
    
    
14. Landefeld CS.  Improving health care for older persons.  Ann Intern Med 2003; 139:421-4.
    
    
15. Landefeld CS, Callahan CM, Woolard N.  General internal medicine and geriatrics:  Building a foundation for sustained improvement in the training of general internists in the care of older adults.  Ann Intern Med 2003; 139: 609-14.
    
    
16. Landefeld CS, Shojania KG, Auerbach AD.  Should we undertake large scale healthcare interventions without clear evidence that benefits outweigh costs and harms? No.  BMJ 2008; 336:1277.
    
    
17. Landefeld CS, Steinman M.  The Neurontin™ Legacy:  Marketing through Misinformation and Manipulation.  N Engl J Med; 2009: 360:103-6.
    
    
18. Landefeld CS, Winker MA, Chernof B.  Clinical Care in the Aging Century:  Announcing "Care of the Aging Patient:  From Evidence to Action.”  JAMA 2009; 302: 2703-4.