Papers
21
Total Citations
1,698
H-Index
16
About
Dawn L. Hershman is a prominent health services researcher whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of surgical technology adoption, comparative effectiveness, and healthcare economics — particularly in the realm of minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery. Her research spans gynecologic oncology, urologic surgery, and health policy, with a consistent focus on evaluating whether rapidly adopted surgical technologies deliver outcomes that justify their costs. Hershman's most influential contribution, a 2013 JAMA study on robotically assisted versus laparoscopic hysterectomy (575 citations), exposed critical gaps between the commercial enthusiasm surrounding robotic surgery and the actual clinical and economic evidence supporting its use. This work, alongside her investigations into robotic hysterectomy for endometrial and cervical cancers, established population-level benchmarks that moved the field beyond single-institution reports from expert surgeons. Her 2012 critique of hospital marketing practices further underscored her commitment to evidence-based adoption of innovation. Hershman's research extends into radical cystectomy and prostatectomy, demonstrating that her scrutiny of surgical technology is broad and systematic. With multiple papers exceeding 100 citations and a body of work that directly informs surgical policy, she stands as a vital voice advocating for rigorous, patient-centered evaluation before widespread clinical adoption of costly new technologies.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 7An Economic Analysis of Robotically Assisted Hysterectomy99 citations · 2014
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