Headshot photo of Abby Dotson, Ph.D.<span class="profile__pronouns"> (she/her)</span>

Abby Dotson, Ph.D. (she/her)

  • Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
  • Executive Director, National POLST Collaborative
  • Director, POLST Registry
  • Director of Operations, HERO Kids Registry

Biography

My research focuses on end-of-life planning technology, policy and outcomes.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • Ph.D., 2012, University of Kansas

  • Fellowship

    • Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 2012-2013
    • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 2013-2016

Additional information

Honors and awards

  • 2024 OHSU School of Medicine 2024 Alumni Award for Early Career Achievement https://ohsufoundation.org/stories/school-of-medicine-2024-alumni-award-winners/

Publications

Selected publications

  • Social Determinants of Health May Predict End of Life Portable Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment Form Completion and Treatment Selections. Ladawna Gievers, Sheevaun Khaki, Abby Dotson, Zunqiu Chen, Robert C Macauley, Susan Tolle. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2021 Sep 26;10499091211041566. doi: 10.1177/10499091211041566. Online ahead of print.
  • The Expanding Role of Nurse Practitioners in the Completion of Oregon Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. Susan W Tolle, Abby Dotson, Betty Ferrell. J Palliat Med. 2021 Sep;24(10):1428-1429. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0386. Epub 2021 Aug 17.
  • End-of-life orders, resource utilization and costs among injured older adults requiring emergency services. Lin AL, Newgard C, Caughey AB, Malveau S, Dotson A, Eckstrom E. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020 Sep 10:glaa230. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glaa230. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32914190
  • Response to Tark et al.: Variations in Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Program across the Nation: Environmental Scan. Valerie M. Jimenez, Abby L. Dotson, and Susan W. Tolle.  Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2019 Apr 22. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2019.0181
  • Response to Rossfeld: Unadvanced Care Planning: A Palliative Play in One Act. Abby L. Dotson, Valerie M. Jimenez, and Susan W. Tolle.  Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2019 Feb 1. http://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2018.0586
  • California’s POLST Electronic Registry Pilot: Lessons for All States https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/CaliforniasPOLSTElectronicRegistryPilot.pdf 
  • Oregon POLST Registry Annual Report, 2018-present. https://orpolstregistry.wordpress.com/reports-and-publications/