Physician Executive and Behavioral Scientist

Dr. Mitesh Patel is a leading expert on using nudges, gamification, and wearables to improve health

He has led more than 25 clinical trials in partnership with health systems, insurers, employers, and community organizations that tested ways to design nudges, incentives, and gamification to change clinician and patient behavior. This work includes digital health interventions using wearable devices and smartphones, and health system interventions using the electronic health record. His work has been published in leading medical journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Health Affairs. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, NBC Today Show, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Forbes, Bloomberg, Time, NPR and CNN.

Key Appointments



Ascension Health

Vice President for Clinical Transformation and National Lead for Behavioral Insights.

Penn Medicine Nudge Unit

Dr. Patel was the Founding Director of the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit from 2016 to 2021, the world’s first behavioral design team embedded within a health system. He led a 20+ person behavioral design team that focused on improving health and health care through the use of nudges, gamification, and wearables. Learn more about the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit here.

Perelman School of Medicine

Ralph Muller Presidential Associate Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School. Dr. Patel is on faculty at the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation and the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics.

The Wharton School

Ralph Muller Presidential Associate Professor of Health Care Management at the Wharton School. He is also the Co-Director of the Wharton MBA course on e-health.

Crescenz VA Medical Center

Staff physician at the Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia from 2012 to 2021.

Honors / Awards



Timeline

  • 2020

    Quality and Practice Innovation Award

    Society of General Internal Medicine

  • 2019

    BX Award for Outstanding Practitioner of the Year

    Behavioral Exchange Conference

  • 2019

    Young Physician-Scientist Award

    American Society for Clinical Investigation

  • 2018

    Alice S. Hersh Emerging Leader Award

    Academy Health

  • 2018

    Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year

    Society of General Internal Medicine

  • 2017

    Paper of the Year Award

    American Journal of Health Promotion

  • 2016

    Clinical Scientist Development Award

    Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

  • 2016

    Career Development Award

    Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development

  • 2016

    Best Research Abstract of the Year Award in Consumer Choice and Behavioral Economics

    Academy Health

  • 2016

    Hamolsky Award for Best Research Abstract of the Year

    Society of General Internal Medicine

  • 2015

    Hamolsky Award for Best Research Abstract of the Year

    Society of General Internal Medicine

  • 2012-13

    TEDMED Expert Panel on Faster Adoption of Best Practices

  • 2012-14

    Fellow

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program