Photo of Douglas E. Levy,  PhD, MPH

Douglas E. Levy, PhD, MPH

Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital
Phone: (617) 643-3595
Fax: (617) 724-4738


dlevy3@partners.org

Douglas E. Levy, PhD, MPH

Massachusetts General Hospital

EDUCATIONAL TITLES

  • Associate Professor, Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Associate Investigator, Mongan Institute Health Policy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital

DF/HCC PROGRAM AFFILIATION

Research Abstract

Douglas Levy, PhD is a health policy and health services researcher. His primary area of research is studying how policies around public health, healthcare finance, and health services can improve prevention and population health. Specific areas of focus include tobacco policy and epidemiology as well as behavioral economics to promote healthy foods. He also collaborates widely on studies using methods of economic evaluation to help prioritize resource use and understand competing incentives to adopt and implement alternative policies. This work is consistently undertaken with an eye towards supporting and understanding impacts for underserved communities. Dr. Levy’s research has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others.

Publications from Harvard Catalyst Profiles

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  • Levy DE, Lee SS, Qian Y, Shebl FM, Goldberg SL, Mulroy NM, Anderson NK, Hyle EP, Becker JE, Reddy KP. Disparities in cigarette smoking and the health of marginalized populations in the U.S.: a simulation analysis. BMC Public Health 2025; 25:1546. PubMed
  • Smith NR, Park ER, Levy DE. Development and usability testing of a tool to estimate the budget impact of implementing a smoking cessation intervention for cancer patients. Cancer Causes Control 2025. PubMed
  • Park ER, Haas JS, Rigotti NA, Neil JM, Marotta CJ, Wint AJ, Gonzalez I, McGovern SE, Chang Y, Levy DE, Flores EJ, Merker VL, Noonan E, Bliss CC. Integrating Tobacco Treatment Into Lung Cancer Screening: The Screen Assist Factorial Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med 2025. PubMed
  • Aschbrenner KA, Walsh-Bailey C, Brown MC, Khan T, Baggett TP, Jones SMW, Levy DE, Pace LE, Winickoff JP. Practical considerations for engaging staff in resource-constrained healthcare settings in implementation research: A qualitative focus group and consensus building study. J Clin Transl Sci 2025; 9:e65. PubMed
  • Finkelstein-Fox L, Sicks JRD, Wagner LI, Carlos RC, Miranda I, Rosen RL, Lopes M, Goshe BM, Gareen IF, Herman BA, Taurone A, Walter AW, Rasmussen AW, Levy DE, Thompson MA, Malloy L, Gonzalez I, Burnette BL, Throckmorton AD, Tingen MS, Ostroff JS, Park ER, . Exploring Gender Differences in Receipt of the 5As for Smoking Cessation for Recently-Diagnosed Cancer Patients (ECOG-ACRIN EAQ171CD). Nicotine Tob Res 2024. PubMed
  • D'Couto H, Thielking AM, Sewpaul R, Levy DE, Rigotti NA, Chrysanthopoulou SA, Siedner MJ, Freedberg KA, Wood R, Hyle EP, Reddy KP. The impact of tobacco smoking and smoking cessation on lung cancer and stroke incidence among people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in South Africa: a simulation modeling study. BMJ Glob Health 2024. PubMed
  • Lee B, Levy DE. Disparities in trends of smoke-free home associated with socioeconomic disadvantages in the United States from 2001 to 2019. Prev Med 2024; 189:108173. PubMed
  • Foo CYS, Potter K, Nielsen L, Rohila A, Maravic MC, Schnitzer K, Pachas GN, Levy DE, Reyering S, Thorndike AN, Cather C, Evins AE. Implementation of Community Health Worker Support for Tobacco Cessation: A Mixed-Methods Study. Psychiatr Serv 2024. PubMed
  • Nagawa CS, Rigotti NA, Chang Y, Levy DE, Streck JM, Ylioja T, Lee SS, Tindle HA. Association between Smoking Abstinence and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms After Hospital Discharge: The Helping HAND 4 Trial. J Addict Med 2024. PubMed
  • Thielking AM, Fitzmaurice KP, Sewpaul R, Chrysanthopoulou SA, Dike L, Levy DE, Rigotti NA, Siedner MJ, Wood R, Paltiel AD, Freedberg KA, Hyle EP, Reddy KP. Tobacco smoking, smoking cessation and life expectancy among people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in South Africa: a simulation modelling study. J Int AIDS Soc 2024; 27:e26315. PubMed
  • Smith NR, Simione M, Farrar-Muir H, Granadeno J, Moreland JW, Wallace J, Frost HM, Young J, Craddock C, Sease K, Hambidge SJ, Taveras EM, Levy DE. Costs to Implement a Pediatric Weight Management Program Across 3 Distinct Contexts. Med Care 2023; 61:715-725. PubMed
  • Smith NR, Levy DE. Budget impact analysis for implementation decision making, planning, and financing. Transl Behav Med 2023. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Singh D, Aschbrenner KA, Davies ME, Pelton-Cairns L, Kruse GR. Challenges and recommendations for measuring time devoted to implementation and intervention activities in health equity-focused, resource-constrained settings: a qualitative analysis. 2023; 4:108. PubMed
  • McCurley JL, Fung V, Levy DE, McGovern S, Vogeli C, Clark CR, Bartels S, Thorndike AN. Assessment of the Massachusetts Flexible Services Program to Address Food and Housing Insecurity in a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization. JAMA Health Forum 2023; 4:e231191. PubMed
  • Lee SS, Chang Y, Rigotti NA, Singer DE, Levy DE, Tyndale RF, Davis EM, Freiberg MS, King S, Wells QS, Tindle HA. Can treatment support mitigate nicotine metabolism-based disparities in smoking abstinence? Secondary analysis of the Helping HAND 4 trial. Nicotine Tob Res 2023. PubMed
  • Bernstein EY, Chang Y, Levy DE, Baggett TP, Lee SS, Tindle HA, Rigotti NA. Tobacco-Related Disease, Health Beliefs, and Post-hospital Tobacco Abstinence. Am J Prev Med 2023. PubMed
  • Cheng D, Fung V, Shah R, Goldberg S, Lee B, Song G, Doane J, Kingsley M, Henley P, Banthin C, Winickoff JP, Rigotti NA, Levy DE. Smoke-Free Policies and Resident Turnover: An Evaluation in Massachusetts Public Housing From 2009‒2018. Am J Prev Med 2023. PubMed
  • Lee B, Fung V, Cheng D, Winickoff JP, Rigotti NA, Shah R, McGlave C, Goldberg S, Song G, Doane J, Kingsley M, Henley P, Ursprung S, Banthin C, Levy DE. Implementation Activities in Smoke-Free Public Housing: The Massachusetts Experience. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022. PubMed
  • Park ER, Neil JM, Noonan E, Howard SE, Gonzalez I, Marotta C, Wint AJ, Levy DE, Chang Y, Rigotti NA, Haas JS. Leveraging the Clinical Timepoints in Lung Cancer Screening to Engage Individuals in Tobacco Treatment. JNCI Cancer Spectr 2022. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Chang Y, Davis EM, Regan S, Levy DE, Ylioja T, Kelley JHK, Notier AE, Gilliam K, Douaihy AB, Singer DE, Tindle HA. Comparative Effectiveness of Postdischarge Smoking Cessation Interventions for Hospital Patients: The Helping HAND 4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med 2022. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Regan S, Perez GK, Muzikansky A, Friedman ER, Rabin J, Rigotti NA, Ostroff JS, Park ER. Cost-effectiveness of Implementing Smoking Cessation Interventions for Patients With Cancer. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2216362. PubMed
  • Goshe BM, Rasmussen AW, Wagner LI, Sicks JD, Gareen IF, Carlos RC, Herman BA, Walter AW, Regan S, Levy DE, Mahon I, Muzikansky A, Neil JM, Lui M, Dilip D, Malloy L, Gonzalez I, Finkelstein-Fox L, McCann C, Perez E, Ostroff JS, Park ER. Study protocol for a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial testing virtual tobacco treatment in oncology practices [Smokefree Support Study 2.0]. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1359. PubMed
  • McKetchnie SM, O'Cleirigh C, Crane HM, Hill SV, Prior D, Peretti M, Parman M, Levy DE, Long D, Cropsey K. Effectiveness of a smoking cessation algorithm integrated into HIV primary care: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2021; 110:106551. PubMed
  • Schnitzer K, Senft N, Tindle HA, Kelley JHK, Notier AE, Davis EM, Rigotti NA, Douaihy A, Levy DE, Singer DE, Kruse G. Understanding engagement behaviors and rapport building in tobacco cessation telephone counseling: An analysis of audio-recorded counseling calls. J Subst Abuse Treat 2021. PubMed
  • Kalkhoran SM, Levy DE, Rigotti NA. Smoking and E-Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Am J Prev Med 2021. PubMed
  • Neil JM, Marotta C, Gonzalez I, Chang Y, Levy DE, Wint A, Harris K, Hawari S, Noonan E, Styklunas G, Crute S, Howard SE, Sheppard J, Lennes IT, Jacobson F, Flores EJ, Haas JS, Park ER, Rigotti NA. Integrating tobacco treatment into lung cancer screening practices: Study protocol for the Screen ASSIST randomized clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2021; 111:106586. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Chang Y, Regan S, Lee S, Kelley JHK, Davis E, Levy DE, Singer DE, Tindle HA. Cigarette Smoking and Risk Perceptions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Reported by Recently Hospitalized Participants in a Smoking Cessation Trial. J Gen Intern Med 2021. PubMed
  • Brown RA, Minami H, Hecht J, Kahler CW, Price LH, Kjome KL, Bloom EL, Levy DE, Carpenter KM, Smith A, Smits JAJ, Rigotti NA. Sustained Care Smoking Cessation Intervention for Individuals Hospitalized for Psychiatric Disorders: The Helping HAND 3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2021. PubMed
  • Garey L, Wirtz MR, Labbe AK, Zvolensky MJ, Smits JAJ, Giordano TP, Rosenfield D, Robbins GK, Levy DE, McKetchnie SM, Bell T, O'Cleirigh C. Evaluation of an integrated treatment to address smoking cessation and anxiety/depressive symptoms among people living with HIV: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2021; 106:106420. PubMed
  • Drouin O, Sato R, Drehmer JE, Nabi-Burza E, Hipple Walters B, Winickoff JP, Levy DE. Cost-effectiveness of a Smoking Cessation Intervention for Parents in Pediatric Primary Care. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e213927. PubMed
  • Reddy KP, Bulteel AJB, Levy DE, Torola P, Hyle EP, Hou T, Osher B, Yu L, Shebl FM, Paltiel AD, Freedberg KA, Weinstein MC, Rigotti NA, Walensky RP. Novel microsimulation model of tobacco use behaviours and outcomes: calibration and validation in a US population. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e032579. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Schnitzer K, Davis EM, Regan S, Chang Y, Kelley JHK, Notier AE, Gilliam K, Douaihy A, Levy DE, Singer DE, Tindle HA. Comparative effectiveness of post-discharge strategies for hospitalized smokers: Study protocol for the Helping HAND 4 randomized controlled trial. Trials 2020; 21:336. PubMed
  • Park ER, Perez GK, Regan S, Muzikansky A, Levy DE, Temel JS, Rigotti NA, Pirl WF, Irwin KE, Partridge AH, Cooley ME, Friedman ER, Rabin J, Ponzani C, Hyland KA, Holland S, Borderud S, Sprunck K, Kwon D, Peterson L, Miller-Sobel J, Gonzalez I, Whitlock CW, Malloy L, de León-Sanchez S, O'Brien M, Ostroff JS. Effect of Sustained Smoking Cessation Counseling and Provision of Medication vs Shorter-term Counseling and Medication Advice on Smoking Abstinence in Patients Recently Diagnosed With Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2020; 324:1406-1418. PubMed
  • Nabi-Burza E, Drehmer JE, Hipple Walters B, Rigotti NA, Ossip DJ, Levy DE, Klein JD, Regan S, Gorzkowski JA, Winickoff JP. Treating Parents for Tobacco Use in the Pediatric Setting: The Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr 2019. PubMed
  • Hecht J, Rigotti NA, Minami H, Kjome KL, Bloom EL, Kahler CW, Price LH, Levy DE, Carpenter KM, Brown RA. Adaptation of a sustained care cessation intervention for smokers hospitalized for psychiatric disorders: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2019; 83:18-26. PubMed
  • Nabi-Burza E, Winickoff JP, Drehmer JE, Gorzkowski JA, Klein JD, Levy DE, Ossip DJ, Regan S, Rigotti NA, Hipple Walters B. Innovations in parental smoking cessation assistance delivered in the child healthcare setting. Transl Behav Med 2019. PubMed
  • Nabi-Burza E, Regan S, Walters BH, Drehmer JE, Rigotti NA, Ossip DJ, Gorzkowski JA, Levy DE, Winickoff JP. Parental Dual Use of e-Cigarettes and Traditional Cigarettes. Acad Pediatr 2019. PubMed
  • Drehmer JE, Nabi-Burza E, Hipple Walters B, Ossip DJ, Levy DE, Rigotti NA, Klein JD, Winickoff JP. Parental Smoking and E-cigarette Use in Homes and Cars. Pediatrics 2019. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Gelsomin ED, Rimm EB, Pachucki M, Sanford J, Anderson E, Johnson C, Schutzberg R, Thorndike AN. Design of ChooseWell 365: Randomized controlled trial of an automated, personalized worksite intervention to promote healthy food choices and prevent weight gain. Contemp Clin Trials 2018; 75:78-86. PubMed
  • Streck JM, Chang Y, Tindle HA, Regan S, Park ER, Levy DE, Singer DE, Ylioja T, Rigotti NA. Smoking Cessation After Hospital Discharge: Factors Associated With Abstinence. J Hosp Med 2018. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Chang Y, Regan S, Tindle HA, Singer DE, Rigotti NA. Improvements in health-related quality of life among smokers who quit after hospitalization. Prev Med 2018; 110:38-46. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Chang Y, Tindle HA, Kalkhoran SM, Levy DE, Regan S, Kelley JHK, Davis EM, Singer DE. Association of E-Cigarette Use With Smoking Cessation Among Smokers Who Plan to Quit After a Hospitalization: A Prospective Study. Ann Intern Med 2018. PubMed
  • Franckle RL, Levy DE, Macias-Navarro L, Rimm EB, Thorndike AN. Traffic-light labels and financial incentives to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage purchases by low-income Latino families: a randomized controlled trial. Public Health Nutr 2018. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Chang Y, Rosenfeld LC, Japuntich SJ, Park ER, Tindle HA, Levy DE, Reid ZZ, Streck J, Gomperts T, Kelley JHK, Singer DE. Interactive Voice Response Calls to Promote Smoking Cessation after Hospital Discharge: Pooled Analysis of Two Randomized Clinical Trials. J Gen Intern Med 2017. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Adams IF, Adamkiewicz G. Delivering on the Promise of Smoke-Free Public Housing. Am J Public Health 2017; 107:380-383. PubMed
  • Wilson KM, Torok MR, McMillen RC, Klein JD, Levy DE, Winickoff JP. Tobacco-Smoke Incursions and Satisfaction Among Residents With Children in Multiunit Housing, United States, 2013. Public Health Rep 2017. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Tindle HA, Regan S, Levy DE, Chang Y, Carpenter KM, Park ER, Kelley JH, Streck JM, Reid ZZ, Ylioja T, Reyen M, Singer DE. A Post-Discharge Smoking-Cessation Intervention for Hospital Patients: Helping Hand 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. Am J Prev Med 2016; 51:597-608. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Klinger EV, Linder JA, Fleegler EW, Rigotti NA, Park ER, Haas JS. Cost-Effectiveness of a Health System-Based Smoking Cessation Program. Nicotine Tob Res 2016. PubMed
  • Park ER, Ostroff JS, Perez GK, Hyland KA, Rigotti NA, Borderud S, Regan S, Muzikansky A, Friedman ER, Levy DE, Holland S, Eusebio J, Peterson L, Rabin J, Miller-Sobel J, Gonzalez I, Malloy L, O'Brien M, de León-Sanchez S, Whitlock CW. Integrating tobacco treatment into cancer care: Study protocol for a randomized controlled comparative effectiveness trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2016; 50:54-65. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Munshi VN, Ashburner JM, Zai AH, Grant RW, Atlas SJ. Health IT-assisted population-based preventive cancer screening: a cost analysis. Am J Manag Care 2015; 21:885-891. PubMed
  • Regan S, Reid ZZ, Kelley JH, Reyen M, Korotkin M, Japuntich SJ, Viana JC, Levy DE, Rigotti NA. Smoking Status Confirmation by Proxy: Validation in a Smoking Cessation Trial. Nicotine Tob Res 2015. PubMed
  • Arku RE, Adamkiewicz G, Vallarino J, Spengler JD, Levy DE. Seasonal variability in environmental tobacco smoke exposure in public housing developments. Indoor Air 2015. PubMed
  • Reid ZZ, Regan S, Kelley JH, Streck JM, Ylioja T, Tindle HA, Chang Y, Levy DE, Park ER, Singer DE, Carpenter KM, Reyen M, Rigotti NA. Comparative Effectiveness of Post-Discharge Strategies for Hospitalized Smokers: study protocol for the Helping HAND 2 randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:109. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Regan S, Levy DE, Japuntich S, Chang Y, Park ER, Viana JC, Kelley JH, Reyen M, Singer DE. Sustained care intervention and postdischarge smoking cessation among hospitalized adults: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2014; 312:719-28. PubMed
  • Thorndike AN, Riis J, Sonnenberg LM, Levy DE. Traffic-light labels and choice architecture: promoting healthy food choices. Am J Prev Med 2014; 46:143-9. PubMed
  • Sonnenberg L, Gelsomin E, Levy DE, Riis J, Barraclough S, Thorndike AN. A traffic light food labeling intervention increases consumer awareness of health and healthy choices at the point-of-purchase. Prev Med 2013; 57:253-7. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Rigotti NA, Winickoff JP. Tobacco smoke exposure in a sample of Boston public housing residents. Am J Prev Med 2013; 44:63-6. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Riis J, Sonnenberg LM, Barraclough SJ, Thorndike AN. Food choices of minority and low-income employees: a cafeteria intervention. Am J Prev Med 2012; 43:240-8. PubMed
  • Thorndike AN, Sonnenberg L, Riis J, Barraclough S, Levy DE. A 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices. Am J Public Health 2012; 102:527-33. PubMed
  • Land TG, Rigotti NA, Levy DE, Schilling T, Warner D, Li W. The effect of systematic clinical interventions with cigarette smokers on quit status and the rates of smoking-related primary care office visits. PLoS ONE 2012; 7:e41649. PubMed
  • Japuntich SJ, Regan S, Viana J, Tymoszczuk J, Reyen M, Levy DE, Singer DE, Park ER, Chang Y, Rigotti NA. Comparative effectiveness of post-discharge interventions for hospitalized smokers: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2012; 13:124. PubMed
  • Rigotti NA, Bitton A, Kelley JK, Hoeppner BB, Levy DE, Mort E. Offering population-based tobacco treatment in a healthcare setting: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Prev Med 2011; 41:498-503. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Kang R, Vogeli CS, Rigotti NA. Smoking cessation advice rates in US hospitals. Arch Intern Med 2011; 171:1682-4. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Winickoff JP, Rigotti NA. School absenteeism among children living with smokers. Pediatrics 2011; 128:650-6. PubMed
  • Park ER, Kleimann S, Youatt EJ, Lockhart A, Campbell EG, Levy DE, Halbert CH, Schmieder E, Krishna R, Shields AE. Black and White adults' perspectives on the genetics of nicotine addiction susceptibility. Addict Behav 2011. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Byfield SD, Comstock CB, Garber JE, Syngal S, Crown WH, Shields AE. Underutilization of BRCA1/2 testing to guide breast cancer treatment: black and Hispanic women particularly at risk. Genet Med 2011; 13:349-55. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Rigotti NA, Winickoff JP. Medicaid expenditures for children living with smokers. BMC Health Serv Res 2011; 11:125. PubMed
  • Levy DE,Garber JE,Shields AE. Guidelines for Genetic Risk Assessment of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Early Disagreements and Low Utilization. J Gen Intern Med 2009; 24:822-8. PubMed
  • Levy DE,Biener L,Rigotti NA. The natural history of light smokers: A population-based cohort study. Nicotine Tob Res 2009; 11:156-63. PubMed
  • Shields AE,Burke W,Levy DE. Differential use of available genetic tests among primary care physicians in the United States: results of a national survey. Genet Med 2008; 10:404-14. PubMed
  • Shields AE,Levy DE,Blumenthal D,Currivan D,McGinn-Shapiro M,Weiss KB,Yucel R,Lerman C. Primary care physicians' willingness to offer a new genetic test to tailor smoking treatment, according to test characteristics. Nicotine Tob Res 2008; 10:1037-45. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Youatt EJ, Shields AE. Primary care physicians' concerns about offering a genetic test to tailor smoking cessation treatment. Genet Med 2007; 9:842-9. PubMed
  • Levy DE, Thorndike AN, Biener L, Rigotti NA. Use of nicotine replacement therapy to reduce or delay smoking but not to quit: prevalence and association with subsequent cessation efforts. Tob Control 2007; 16:384-9. PubMed
  • Shields AE, Shin P, Leu MG, Levy DE, Betancourt RM, Hawkins D, Proser M. Adoption of health information technology in community health centers: results of a national survey. Health Aff (Millwood) 2007; 26:1373-83. PubMed
  • Levy DE. Employer-sponsored insurance coverage of smoking cessation treatments. Am J Manag Care 2006; 12:553-62. PubMed
  • Atlas SJ, Zai AH, Ashburner JM, Chang Y, Percac-Lima S, Levy DE, Chueh HC, Grant RW. Non-visit-based cancer screening using a novel population management system. J Am Board Fam Med ; 27:474-85. PubMed
  • Browne J, Mccurley JL, Fung V, Levy DE, Clark CR, Thorndike AN. Addressing Social Determinants of Health Identified by Systematic Screening in a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization: A Qualitative Study. J Prim Care Community Health ; 12:2150132721993651. PubMed
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