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Kevin G. Volpp, MD, PhD

Degree and Institution

PhD, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 1998; MD, University of Pennsylvania, 1998

Faculty Title

Assistant Professor, Medicine and Health Care Systems, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School

Research Expertise

Other Affiliations
The Wharton School

Residency
Resident in Internal Medicine, 2001

Board Certifications
Internal Medicine, 2001

Honors and Awards

2004-2007		Most Outstanding Abstract citation at AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting - Top 30 of about 1700 submitted (with Meena Seshamani, 2004; with David Song, 2005; with Jalpa Doshi, 2006; with Amol Navathe, 2007)
2005		Presidential Award for Early Career Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) - recognized at White House by President Bush with highest honor given by US government for early career scientists
2006		Society of General Internal Medicine Outstanding Junior Investigator Award
2006		John Thompson Award from Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) for outstanding accomplishments in health services research as a junior investigator
2007		Best Paper Award (with Lisa Bolton, Americus Reed II, Katrina Armstrong), "How Does Drug and Supplement Marketing Affect a Healthy Lifestyle", The Association for Consumer Research
2007		Alice S. Hersh New Investigator Award, AcademyHealth, for "exceptional promise for future contributions to health services research"
2007		Best Paper Award - AcademyHealth (with A Rosen, P Romano, P Rosenbaum, J Silber) - "Impact of ACGME Duty Hours on Mortality Among Patients in VA Hospitals" - one of three highest rated abstracts out of about 1700 submitted.
2007		Marjorie A. Bowman New Investigator Research Award, University of Pennsylvania, recognizing one junior faculty member for achievement in the health evaluation sciences
2008		Elected to American Society Clinical Investigation (ASCI)

Publications
Click here to see my publications

Dr. Volpp's research program focuses on the impact of financial and organizational incentives on health outcomes. His work developing and testing innovative ways of incenting patients using concepts from behavioral economics examines the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of financial incentives in addressing tobacco dependence, obesity, and medication non-adherence. These approaches have the potential to dramatically increase the rates of healthy behaviors by better aligning incentives between patients, employers, large insurers, and health systems.

Dr. Volpp also has completed a number of important studies using administrative data to examine the impact on health outcomes of major policy changes. This work has included several studies examining the impact on patient outcomes of the ACGME regulation of work hours for physicians in training, the first time that work hours for physicians has been regulated in the United States. He also has completed a number of studies examining the impact of changes in hospital payment and financial stress in hospitals on patient outcomes.

His work has been recognized by receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year Award from the Society of General Internal Medicine; the John Thompson Prize from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration; and the Alice S. Hersh New Investigator Award from AcademyHealth.