2026 Robert L. Kane Memorial Lecture in Long Term Care

Health care for older adults, particularly those with multiple chronic conditions, is often of uncertain benefit, burdensome, fragmented - even conflicting, and not focused on what matters most to the individual. Furthermore, social, environmental, and other non-medical contributors to health are inadequately addressed. Patient priorities-aligned care, which involves identifying and aligning care with the specific health priorities of each older adult, was developed with input from patients, care partners, health professionals, and health leaders to address these limitations.

Dr. Tinetti will describe the approach to aligning care with patients' health priorities, present results of implementation trials in several settings, and discuss how it can inform collaboration across all health professionals.

Dr. Mary Tinetti, emeritus Chief of Geriatrics at Yale School of Medicine, leads a national effort to develop, test, disseminate, and spread an approach to healthcare decision-making that aligns the care of older adults with multiple conditions to their individual health priorities. She also chaired an Institute for Healthcare Improvement-led national group of advisors helping health systems become Age-Friendly. Her research has focused on the benefits and harms of commonly used treatments in older adults, as well as identifying the causes and prevention of falls and fall-related injuries. Dr. Tinetti has published more than 250 articles, is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow.