Kirsten Firminger

Principal Researcher

Kirsten Firminger is a principal researcher at AIR. With a passion for understanding consumers’ perspectives of health care, she has worked extensively on gathering information from patients about their care experiences. She is an expert at developing and testing materials for use by the public, including presenting information on health care quality, cost, and comparative effectiveness research.

Dr. Firminger has expertise in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, including in-depth interviews, cognitive testing interviews, key informant interviews, focus groups, developing surveys, and managing participant recruitment for both small- and large‑scale research projects. Additionally she has experience in program evaluation, conducting in-depth literature reviews and environmental scans; writing and editing of manuscripts and technical reports; strategic business development, project management, and staff supervision; and providing training in qualitative research methods and software. Content area specialties include health services related to maternity, nursing, and hospice care.

Dr. Firminger has worked on projects for clients including: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the John A. Hartford Foundation, Center for Health Improvement, and the American Hospice Foundation.

Kirsten Firminger

Ph.D., Social Psychology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York; B.A., Psychology and Anthropology, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

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