Howard Beckman, MD, FACP, FACH, FNAP

Senior Consultant
Common Ground Health
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
 
Howard Beckman, MD, FACP,FACH is a semi-retired general internist and geriatrician currently serving as a consultant to health systems interested in reducing low value care or improving system leader or practitioner communication skills. Dr. Beckman is a clinical professor of medicine, family medicine and public health sciences at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry where he served as chief of medicine from 1990-1998 before becoming the medical director of the Rochester Individual Practice Association, a physician organization of 3500 practitioners.
Dr. Beckman is widely published in the health communication field focusing on phenomenological qualitative research. He collaborates with Richard Frankel, PhD, a sociolinguist. Dr.Beckman’s work has appeared in Health Affairs, the Annals of Internal Medicine and JAMA among others.
 
Dr. Beckman is currently actively consulting with Common Ground Health, a regional health collaborative in the Finger Lakes region of update New York, where he lives.

Publications:

  • Beckman HB, Mafi J, Bortz B. Ten steps to a successful Low value Care reduction program. In preparation.
  • Frankel RM, Beckman HB. “Won’t you be my doctor?”: Four keys to a satisfying relationship in an increasingly virtual world. J Clin Experience. In Press
  • Beckman A, Wendland M, Cohen E, Bartock B, Chirico J, Beckman, H. Soliciting patient’s goals for care on hospital discharge: The gateway to shared decision-making. Quality in Primary Care. 2019;27:1-8.
  • Fortuna R, Rocco T, Freeman J, Devine M, Bisognano J, Williams G, Nagel A, Beckman H. A community wide initiative to improve hypertension control and reduce disparities: Lessons Learned. J Clin Hypertension. 2019;21:1-8
  • Carey VA, Casey MR, Partridge GH, Beckman HB, Mahoney T. Cost and quality in hypertension care: Observations from a quality improvement primary care initiative. Qual in Primary Care. 2015;23:150-156.
  • Beckman H, Healey P, Safran D. Improving Partnerships between Health Plans and Medical Groups. Submitted Am J Manag Care. 2015;11:294-297.
  • Beckman H. The journey to resilience: The role of medical culture. Academic Medicine. 2015;90:710-711.
    • Castano C, Love M, van Duren M, Shapiro L, Clarke R, Beckman H. Working in Concert: A How-to-Guide to Reducing Unwarranted Variations in Care. California Healthcare Foundation. http://www.chcf.org/publications/2014/09/working-in-concert-reducing-variations. September, 2014.
    • Hannawa AF, Beckman HB, Mazor K, Paul N, Ramsey J. Building bridges: Coherent future directions for medical error disclosure research. Patient Education and Counseling, 2013. 10.1016/j.pec.2013.05.017
  • Beckman H, Wendland M, Mooney C, Krasner M, Quill T, Suchman A, Epstein R. Attention to Presence: Physicians interpersonal and professional well-being through mindfulness training. Academic Medicine. 2012;87:815-819
  • Bisognano JD, Speranza PS, Becker LM, Norwood WS, Bradley A, Nazar MD, Beckman HB. Creating Community Collaboration to Improve the Care of Patients with High Blood Pressure: Lessons from Rochester, NY. J Clin Hypertension. 2012;14:178-183
  • Beckman H. Lost in Translation: Physician’s struggle with cost-reduction programs. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154:430-433
  • Camissa C, Partridge G, Buehrer T, Ardans C, Chapman B, Beckman H. Engaging physicians in change: Results of a safety net quality improvement program to reduce overuse in managing back pain. Am J Med Qual. 2011;26:26-33
    • Rosenthal M, Beckman H, Dauser D, Landon B, Huang ES, Lewis S. Measuring costs and health care service utilization of patient centered medical home pilots. Med Care Res Rev 2010 67: 476-484.
  • Beckman HB. Three degrees of separation. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151:890-891.
  • Krasner M, Epstein R, Beckman H, Suchman A, Chapman B, Mooney C, Quill T. A continuing education program in mindfulness communication: Effects on primary care physician burnout, mood, empathy and psychosocial orientation. JAMA. 2009;302:1284-1293.
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  • McDaniel S, Beckman HB, Morse D, Silberman J, Seaburn D, Epstein RM. Enough about you, let’s talk about me: Physician Self Disclosure in Primary Care visits. Archives of Internal
  • Beckman HB, Suchman AL, Curtin K, Greene RA. Physician reactions to quantitative individual Performance reports. American J Med Qual. 2006; 21: 192 – 199.
  • Francis D, Beckman H, Chamberlain, Partridge Kerr J, Greene R. Primary Care Specialty Responses to a Multifaceted Guideline Adherence Program: Do Pediatricians, Internists and Family Physicians Respond Differently. American J Med Qual. 2006;21:134-143.
  • Safran D, Miller W, Beckman H. The Practitioner-Practitioner and Practitioner-Organizational Component of Relationship-Centered Care: Practice and Theory. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21:S9-15.
  • Beach MC, Inuit TS et al. Relationship-centered care: A constructive reframing. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21:S3-8
  • Seaburn D, Morse D, McDaniel S, Beckman H, Silberman J, Epstein R. Physician responses to ambiguous patient symptoms. J Gen Intern Med. 2005:20;525
  • Greene RA, Beckman H, Chamberlain J, Partridge G, Miller M, Burden D, Kerr J. Increasing adherence to a community-based guideline for acute sinusitis through education, physician profiling and financial incentives. Am J Manag Care. 2004;10:670-678.
  • Marvel K, Bailey A, Pfaffly C, Gunn W, Beckman H. Relationship-centered Administration: Transferring effective communication skills from the Exam Room to the Conference Room. J Healthcare Management. 2003;48:112-123.
  • Markakis KM, Beckman HB, Suchman AL, Frankel RM. The Path to professionalism: Cultivating values and attitudes though socialization processes in residency training. Academic Medicine 2000:75;42-51
  • Marvel MK, Epstein R, Flowers K, Beckman H. Soliciting the patients agenda: Have we improved?  1999;281:283-287
    • Epstein RM, DS Morse, RM Frankel, L Frarey, K Anderson, Beckman HB. Awkward moments in patient-physician communication of HIV risk.  Ann Intern Med 1998;128:435-442.
  • Suchman AL, KM Markakis, HB Beckman and RM Frankel. Getting to empathy: Communication behavior in medical interviews.  JAMA 1997;227:678-682.
  • Beckman HB and RM Frankel. The use of videotape in ambulatory training.  J Gen Intern Med 1994; 9:517-522.
  • Beckman HB, KM Markakis, AL Suchman and RM Frankel. The doctor-patient relationship and malpractice: Lessons from plaintiff depositions.  Arch Intern Med 1994; 154:1365-1370
  • Rabinowitz B, HB Beckman, D Morse and E Naumburg. Discussing preventive services with patients:  Can we make a difference?  Health Values 1994; 18(4):20-26.
  • Beckman H and A Baig. The Joy of Doctoring.  HMO Practice 1994; 8(2):64-66.
  • Addison R, B Toeppen-Sprigg, DL Stoller, LF Farley and H Beckman. Reflections on physician vulnerability: Opening the dialogue.  Family Systems Medicine 1993; 11:31-46.
    • Frankel RM, DS Morse, AL Suchman and HB Beckman. Can I really improve my listening skills with only fifteen minutes to see my patients?  HMO Practice 1991; 5:114-120.
  • Burack RC, R Butler, R Frankel, A Edwards, G Kulesza and HB Beckman. The difficult case conference: A problem solving approach.  J Gen Intern Med 1991; 6:355-359.
  • Beckman HB and RM Frankel. Collecting quality of life data in cardiovascular patients.  Qual Life Cardiovasc Care 1985; 1:336-341.
  • Sadowski KO, JCD Longworth and HB Beckman. The use of a physician consultant in primary care nursing practice.  Nurse Prac 1985; 10:33-38.
  • Beckman HB and RM Frankel. The effect of provider behavior on the collection of data.  Ann Intern Med 1984; 101:692-696.

 

Books, Monographs, Book Chapters and Review Articles

 

  • Beckman HB, Beckman A, Frankel RM. Common Concerns of Patients and Families. In, Cole S, Frankel RM, Eds. The Medical Interview: The three function approach to relationship centered care (Fourth Edition). Elsivier, Philadelphia.  2022
  • Feldman M, Beckman HB, Christensen J. Difficult Patients/Difficult Situations. In, M Feldman and J Christensen, Eds. Behavioral Medicine: A guide for clinical practice, 4th edition. Lange Medical Books. New York, NY. 2014
  • Beckman HB, Frankel RM. The Effect of Physician Behavior on the Collection of Data. In, Beach WA, Ed. Handbook of Patient-Provider Interactions: Raising and Responding to Concerns about Life, Illness, & Disease. Hampton Press, New York, NY. 2013
  • Beckman HB. Difficult Patients/Difficult Situations. In, M Feldman and J Christensen, Eds. Behavioral Medicine: A guide for clinical practice, 3rd Lange Medical Books. New York, NY. 2008
  • Suchman AL, Deci EL, McDaniel SH, Beckman HB. Relationship-centered Administration. In, R Frankel, T Quill, S McDaniel, eds. Biopsychosocial Care. University of Rochester Press, Rochester, NY. 2003
  • Beckman HB, Frankel RM, Frisina S, Galway, Horovitz, Hunter, Merritt M, Sobraske, Ventura J, Warren R. Complementary Medicine. In OJ Saylor and J Carr, eds. The Behavioral Sciences and Health Care. Hogrefe & Huber. Gottingen, Germany. 2003
  • Beckman HB and RM Frankel. The Physician-Patient Relationship. In, R Frank, S McDaniel, J Bray and M Heldring, Eds., Psychology in Primary Care. APA 2003
  • Beckman HB. Difficult Patients/Difficult Situations.  In, M Feldman and J Christensen, Eds., Behavioral Medicine: A Primary Care Handbook.  Appleton Lange, Norwolk, CT.  1997
  • Lipkin M Jr, RM Frankel, HB Beckman, R Charon and O Fein. Performing the Interview.  In, M Lipkin Jr, S Putnam and A Lazare, Eds., The Medical Encounter.  Springer Forlag, New York, NY.  1995.
  • Frankel RM and HB Beckman. Teaching Communication Skills to Medical Students and House Officers: An Integrated Approach.  In, J Clare, R Allman, Eds., Sociomedical Perspectives on Patient Care Relationships.  University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. 1993.
  • Beckman HB, S Kaplan and RM Frankel. An Overview of Outcome Based Research in Medical Interviewing.  In, M Stewart and D Roter, Eds., Communicating with Medical Patients.  Sage Publishers, Beverly Hills, CA. 
  • Frankel RM and HB Beckman. Evaluating the Primary Concerns.  In, M Stewart and D Roter, Eds., Communicating with Medical Patients.  Sage Publishers, Beverly Hills, CA.