Research & Publications †
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Biographical Sketch
Barbara Messinger-Rapport, MD, PhD, is a Geriatrician with a special interest in cardiovascular risk reduction in older adults, polypharmacy and older drivers, osteoporosis and women’s health, the role of evidence-based medicine in frail elders and quality of life in dementia. She has been a medical advisor to the American Medical Association Older Drivers Project, resulting in the publication of the Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers in 2003 and in 2008. She has presented research on older driver risks and driving cessation at the American Geriatrics Society, the American Society of Aging, and the International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence (ICADI).
Dr. Messinger-Rapport is Director of the Center for Geriatric Medicine of the Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic. She is also Associate Professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, teaching and supervising medical students, residents and fellows, and mentoring them in research and other scholarly projects. She has completed training in internal medicine residency and geriatric medicine fellowship.
She is a recent Past President of the Ohio Geriatric Society and is current President of the Ohio Medical Directors Association. She sits on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. Out of the office, she enjoys tennis, cross-country skiing and cycling.
Specialty Interests
aging body and aging brain, geriatrics, older women's health, optimizing function in older adults, palliative care for older adults, quality of life in dementia
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.
To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists
receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.
As of 3/20/2013, Dr. Messinger-Rapport has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by the Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers’ discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.