News Archives
Seeking early detection for pancreatic cancer
November 23, 2020Earlier 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 to ...Read more...New tool helps predict outcomes for COVID-19
November 20, 2020A 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 pandemic ...Read more...2016 presidential election associated with uptick in heart attacks and stroke
November 2, 2020The 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,” said ...Read more...Five questions for … Dr. Katia Bruxvoort
November 2, 2020Katia 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, ...Read more...Scientists and physicians conduct research to improve COVID-19 testing and treatment
November 2, 2020Researchers 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 younger ...Read more...Value of quick noninvasive follow-up tests for chest pain patients questioned
November 2, 2020Researchers 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 72 ...Read more...Applying epidemiology to change care delivery and improve health
November 2, 2020Epidemiologists 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. “We ...Read more...Insomnia in breast cancer survivors is strongly correlated with depression
October 12, 2020Many 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 was ...Read more...