News Archives
Chest pain risk assessment may reduce treatment disparities
December 23, 2020Read more...The use of a standardized tool for assessing the risk of serious outcomes in patients with chest pain was associated with women at high risk receiving comparable care to men, according to new research published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Care received by women at low and intermediate risk was consistent with current clinical
Progression of children’s myopia may be influenced by race and ethnicity
December 2, 2020Read more...Asian American children are at a much higher risk of a progression of myopia—commonly known as nearsightedness—a new Kaiser Permanente Southern California study shows. “Some people think of myopia only as an issue that can be easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. However, myopic patients have a higher risk of vision loss throughout life
People on dialysis have higher risk from COVID-19
December 1, 2020Read more...Kidney dialysis patients should take extra precautions to avoid being infected with COVID-19. A new Kaiser Permanente Southern California study found patients on dialysis have 18 times higher risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than people who do not have end-stage kidney disease. Intuitively, the physicians and researchers knew that these patients may be
Five questions for … Dr. Chunyuan Qiu
December 1, 2020Read more...Chunyuan Qiu, MD, MS, is a clinician investigator for the Department of Research & Evaluation and the chief of the Department of Anesthesiology at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center. He is actively involved in teaching regional anesthesia fellows. In his practice, he focuses on the long-term outcomes after surgery and anesthesia. What is the value
Kaiser Permanente San Diego enrolling patients in monoclonal antibody trial
November 30, 2020Read more...In November, emergency departments at the Kaiser Permanente San Diego and Zion medical centers began enrolling patients in the ACTIV-2 Outpatient Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Therapies trial, which is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “This trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatments for people who have COVID-19 but
Seeking early detection for pancreatic cancer
November 23, 2020Read more...Earlier this year, much-loved game show host Alex Trebec died from a cancer that’s rare but extremely deadly: pancreatic cancer. In fact, the disease is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. Pancreatic cancer’s high mortality rate is due in large part to a lack of effective screening methods, according
New tool helps predict outcomes for COVID-19
November 20, 2020Read more...A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine this month reports on an assessment tool developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers and physicians that helps ensure patients get the right care, when they need it, by accurately predicting the probability that patients with COVID-19 symptoms will experience severe disease or even death. “As the
2016 presidential election associated with uptick in heart attacks and stroke
November 2, 2020Read more...The hospitalization rate for heart attacks and strokes was 1.62 times higher in the 2 days immediately after the 2016 presidential election than the same 2 days in the week before the election, new research shows. “We saw the same increase in acute cardiovascular disease (CVD) events across sex, age, and race and ethnicity groups,”
Five questions for … Dr. Katia Bruxvoort
November 2, 2020Read more...Katia Bruxvoort, PhD, MPH, is an infectious disease epidemiologist and post-doctoral research fellow for the Department of Research & Evaluation. She is a co-investigator on several post-licensure vaccine safety and effectiveness studies (hepatitis B vaccine, shingles vaccine, influenza vaccines). She has broad interests in infectious disease prevention, targeted treatment, the intersection of social needs and health,
Scientists and physicians conduct research to improve COVID-19 testing and treatment
November 2, 2020Read more...Researchers and physicians within Kaiser Permanente Southern California continue to find better ways to test, treat, and care for patients with COVID-19. In late October, a few of the researchers and physicians shared their latest projects at a Department of Research & Evaluation Research Seminar. The COVID-19 projects included examining risk factors for mortality in
Value of quick noninvasive follow-up tests for chest pain patients questioned
November 2, 2020Read more...Researchers at Kaiser Permanente are always working to find better and more cost-effective tests and treatments possible for members. Recently, Adam Sharp, MD, MSc, and Aniket Kawatkar, PhD, MS, of Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation led a team evaluating the effectiveness of noninvasive cardiac tests, such as treadmill stress tests, within
Applying epidemiology to change care delivery and improve health
November 2, 2020Read more...Epidemiologists in the Department of Research & Evaluation apply rigorous research methods to address important health questions that have the potential to change clinical practice and health care delivery. “Epidemiology is the study of patterns of diseases and other health conditions in populations,” said Kristi Reynolds, PhD, MPH, director of the Division of Epidemiologic Research.
Insomnia in breast cancer survivors is strongly correlated with depression
October 12, 2020Read more...Many women who survive breast cancer continue to cope with other issues such as insomnia, depression, and fatigue. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Southern California and the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine sought to determine whether insomnia, which affects about 40% of breast cancer survivors, was a factor that led to depression and fatigue. The study
People invited to be observers in mask adherence study
October 12, 2020Read more...A research team from Kaiser Permanente is inviting scientists, academics, and the public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by observing who is masking and physical distancing in outdoor public spaces. The research is part of an ongoing series of studies called SOMAD (Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing.) The project is spearheaded
Five questions for … Jeff Slezak
September 28, 2020Read more...Jeff Slezak, MS, is a collaborative biostatistician research scientist for the Division of Epidemiologic Research in the Department of Research & Evaluation. He is focused on the application of statistics to improve knowledge and patient care. He has more than 25 years of experience as a statistician, including work on numerous prostate cancer research studies.
Increasing physical activity, and health, through policy change
September 14, 2020Read more...While physical activity is vital for the health and well-being of children and adults, people aren’t doing enough of it, said Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, MBA, of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. One way Dr. Young sought to change that was to lead an effort to create a policy statement
First of several Kaiser Permanente mask adherence studies released in Philadelphia
September 14, 2020Read more...Fewer than half of the people observed outdoors in Philadelphia were wearing masks correctly, according to research spearheaded by Deborah Cohen, MD, MPH, of Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation and Philadelphia-based Studio Ludo—a nonprofit focused on building better play through research, design, and advocacy. The study found that 51% of people
5 questions for… Dr. Jaejin An
September 2, 2020Read more...Jaejin An, PhD, is a research scientist in the Division of Epidemiologic Research and a pharmacoepidemiologist whose work focuses on understanding medication utilization, medication adherence, and disease management patterns.
Physicians can influence people to try to lose weight
September 1, 2020Read more...People who were overweight were less likely to have tried to lose weight if their primary care provider had not talked with them about weight loss, a Kaiser Permanente study found. “By delivering factual information on weight status, primary care providers may motivate their patients to consider weight management strategies,” said Deborah Rohm Young, PhD,
Atypical femur fractures rise with longer bisphosphonate use
August 20, 2020Read more...In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Southern California research scientists report that while atypical femur fracture risk is rare, it does increase with longer use of bisphosphonate to treat osteoporosis, especially after 5 years. Asian women had approximately 5 times the risk of these fractures with prolonged bisphosphonate
Obesity increases risk of death from COVID-19, particularly for men and young people
August 14, 2020Read more...In a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Kaiser Permanente research shows that obesity was associated with a substantial increased risk of death from COVID-19. However, it also found that the risk of death from COVID-19 associated with obesity is not uniform among those who are obese, but instead disproportionately affects men and people
Kaiser Permanente joins late-stage COVID-19 vaccine study
August 12, 2020Read more...Today, Kaiser Permanente began participating in a phase 3 clinical trial to test an investigational vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Kaiser Permanente plans to enroll approximately 1,400 participants at 4 sites in California and Oregon. The goal for this trial is to enroll up to 30,000 participants at more
Improving care through research
July 21, 2020Read more...The Care Improvement Research Team is a groundbreaking partnership in Kaiser Permanente Southern California, bringing researchers and clinicians together to improve health care quality and affordability for Kaiser Permanente members and people throughout the world. Through CIRT, research scientists team up with frontline clinicians to identify research questions that are important to patients and the
Annual report shows Kaiser Permanente Southern California research stretching the frontier of health
July 8, 2020Read more...The growing need for solutions to important health questions requires innovative thinking beyond what experts know today. The Department of Research & Evaluation’s 2019 Annual Report, “Stretching the Frontier: Research Improving Health and Well-being,” illustrates some of the innovative ways Kaiser Permanente Southern California researchers and clinicians are working together toward answers to those questions.
Few pregnant women admitted for delivery have COVID-19
July 3, 2020Read more...New research shows that few women admitted to Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals to give birth this spring tested positive for COVID-19. Those who did were asymptomatic, and none passed on the infection to their newborns. “We had heard from our colleagues in New York about the high rate of COVID-19 among pregnant women coming
Screening cancer patients for distress
June 29, 2020Read more...When she was a new scientist at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Erin E. Hahn, PhD, MPH, had an intense interest in cancer research. Oncologists invited her into their quarterly meetings so she could see and hear the challenges they faced. One of those challenges was depression and anxiety among cancer patients. Dr. Hahn and others
Patient advisors revolutionize research
June 29, 2020Read more...Fifteen years ago when Matt Owen was a freshman psychology major in college, he had a “psychotic break from reality.” “I started having hallucinations that altered my mind in a way that dealing with everyday life became challenging,” he said. “It changed the course of my life.” Times were rocky for a while, including more
Oncologists as clinical trials investigators
June 29, 2020Read more...Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a terrifying moment for a patient. But when patients at Kaiser Permanente Southern California see a physician for cancer, they can take comfort knowing they are also seeing a clinician researcher who can help them access the latest tools being studied for fighting the disease. “We are an integrated
R&E-hosted conferences inspire patient-centered research
June 29, 2020Read more...The Department of Research & Evaluation hosted 2 conferences that stretched the frontiers of health care in 2019. One focused on turning data into research with an impact on clinical practice. The other focused on improving health system–based embedded research programs. “As an organization, we are on the forefront of conducting research to directly benefit
Resident research improves patient care
June 29, 2020Read more...At the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, pediatric resident Jacqueline Nguyen, MD, wanted to know how flu shots affected young patients with asthma. With help from her resident research advisor, she dug into data from electronic health records and found that flu vaccination reduced hospitalization rates for respiratory issues by 25% over the 6-year