Nicole Dussault, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
Dr. Nicole Dussault is a board-certified palliative medicine physician whose research focuses on finding better ways to support patients with serious illnesses by strengthening how care is delivered. She has studied the challenges primary care providers face when talking with patients about future care wishes, and she designed a program where chaplains helped providers improve documentation of these conversations. She has also reviewed what barriers and supports impact the delivery of early outpatient palliative care. Most recently, Dr. Dussault led a project to improve care for patients living with substance use disorders by creating new pharmacy-informed workflows and care protocols.
Other Appointments & Affiliations
Physician, Fred HutchPhysician
Fred Hutch
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine
Education
Fellowship, Palliative Care, Duke University, 2025
Residency, Internal Medicine, Duke University, 2024
MS, Biomedical Informatics, University of Chicago Graham School, 2020
MD, Medicine, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 2021
BA, Economics, Columbia University, 2014
Research Focus
Health services research in palliative care
Multidisciplinary team interventions
Education and training of medical providers around Trauma-Informed Care
Quantitative analysis and predictive modeling
Improving care for persons with substance use disorder
Board Certification
Internal Medicine, 2024, American Board of Internal Medicine
"My research focuses on improving palliative care through multidisciplinary interventions that strengthen communication, enhance provider training, and address complex patient needs - always with the goal of delivering more patient-centered, equitable, and effective care for those with serious illness."
— Dr. Nicole Dussault