Michelle Howard

Michelle Howard is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences. Her research focuses on primary care for individuals with serious and life-limiting illnesses, examining practice models, policies, and patient-professional communication through health administrative and clinical data.

Her primary research interests include palliation and end-of-life care, primary health care systems, patient-centered care approaches, aged health care, and health services and systems optimization. She has extensively studied advance care planning tools, continuity of care in terminal illness, and healthcare delivery during critical transitions.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on population-based health services research, particularly examining end-of-life care patterns across multiple chronic conditions (heart failure, COPD, kidney disease), pandemic impacts on primary care continuity, and innovative care models integrating formal and informal support systems. Her work frequently employs mixed-methods designs and leverages large Canadian administrative datasets.

Dr. Howard leads significant initiatives including Health TAPESTRY (a complex primary care program for older adults) and has developed validated tools for advance care planning such as the PlanWell Guide decision support intervention. Her research directly informs policy on palliative care integration, healthcare transitions, and chronic disease management in primary care settings.