Russell S. Phillips, MD

russellResearch Concentrations 

  • Primary Care Innovation 
  • End of Life Care 
  • Integrative Medicine

Contact Information

Phone: 617-754-9600 
Email: rphillip@bidmc.harvard.edu

Professional Biography

View Dr. Phillips's publication history at PubMed Author Search 

View Dr. Phillips's professional research networking profile at Harvard Catalyst 

Dr. Russell Phillips is an experienced physician-investigator who currently is co-investigator on two R01s and holds a K24 mid-career investigator award from the NIH to support his mentoring activities. He is a national leader in general medicine and primary care and is President of the Association for Chiefs and Leaders in General Internal Medicine. Dr. Phillips' research efforts focus on innovations in primary care, end-of-life care, and integrative medicine. He leads efforts at BIDMC to develop a patient-centered medical home within the hospital-based teaching practice, and serves on the Massachusetts coordinating council on the patient-centered medical home. He co-chaired the HMS Primary Care Advisory Group that led to the creation of a Center for Primary Care at HMS, and currently serves as director of the Center.

Current Research

K24 AT000589-09, NIH/NCCAM, 2006-2011 
Research and Mentorship in Alternative Medicine 
The goal of this grant is to support mentoring for young investigators training to perform patient-oriented research and to prepare these trainees for careers as independent investigators in patient-oriented alternative medicine research. 
Role: PI

R01 DK073302-03, NIH/NIDDK, 2007-2012 
Understanding how patients value bariatric surgery 
This project will assemble a racially diverse cohort of 650 patients recruited from two bariatric centers and a cross-sectional sample of 600 primary care patients from the community and examine the perspectives and experiences of patients seriously contemplating weight loss surgery and those who are less likely to undergo surgery. Goals of the project are to understand the value patients associate with weight loss and surgical outcomes and identify patients' perceptions of bariatric surgery and the factors they consider in deciding whether or not to undergo weight loss surgery. An important aim of the project will be to identify patients who derive greater value from surgery and potential factors and barriers that might explain current observed racial variation in the use of bariatric surgery. 
Role: Co-Investigator

R01 AT005436-01A1, NIH/NCCAM, 2010-2015 
Clinical and Autonomic Effects of Mind-Body Exercise in COPD 
Role: PI.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

1. Myers SS, Phillips RS, Davis RB, Cherkin DC, Legedza A, Kaptchuk TJ, Hrbek A, Buring JE, Post D, Connelly MT, Eisenberg DM. Patient expectations as predictors of outcome in patients with acute low back pain. J Gen Intern Med. 2008 Feb; 23(2):148-153. 
2. Gardiner P, Graham RE, Legedza AT, Eisenberg DM, Phillips RS. Factors associated with dietary supplement use among prescription medication users. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Oct 9; 166(18):1968-1974. 
3. Ahn AC, Ngo-Metzger Q, Legedza AT, Massagli MP, Clarridge BR, Phillips RS. Complementary and alternative medical therapy use among Chinese and Vietnamese Americans: prevalence, associated factors, and effects of patient-clinician communication. Am J Public Health. 2006 Apr; 96(4):647-653. 
4. Saper RB, Kales SN, Paquin J, Burns MJ, Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Heavy metal content of ayurvedic herbal medicine products. JAMA. 2004 Dec 15; 292(23):2868-2873. 
5. Smetana GW, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Factors that influence patient response to requests to change to a unified restrictive formulary. J Gen Intern Med. 2004 Dec; 19(12):1212-1219. 
6. Yeh GY, Wood MJ, Lorell BH, Stevenson LW, Eisenberg DM, Wayne PM, Goldberger AL, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Effects of tai chi mind-body movement therapy on functional status and exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Med. 2004 Oct 15; 117(8):541-548.