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KPWHRI in the Media

 

News media often cover Kaiser Permanente Washington research.
Here are selected mentions.

 

2025


October

Mailed HPV test kits are cost-effective for screening

Read KPWHRI’s story­­.

A Kaiser Permanente Washington study conducted by KPWHRI affiliate researcher Rachel Winer, PhD, MPH, Beverly Green, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that mailing human papillomavirus (HPV) self-test kits to patients is an effective and affordable way for health systems to boost cervical cancer screening rates. 


September

Acupuncture safe and effective for low back pain in older adults

Read KPWHRI’s story.

A study co-led by Andrea Cook, PhD, found that acupuncture improves pain and physical functioning for older adults with chronic low back pain.


Improving cannabis use screening and care

Research led by Tessa Matson, PhD, MPH, underscored the value of integrating cannabis screening into primary care to help identify patients with cannabis use disorder and initiate treatment. 


Study links medical imaging to cancer risk in children

Read KPWHRI’s story­­.

KPWHRI affiliate researcher Diana Miglioretti, PhD, Erin Bowles, MPH, and colleagues conducted a groundbreaking study in 6 health systems, finding that radiation from medical imaging, even at relatively low doses, is associated with a higher risk of blood cancers in children. 


Navigating the “gray area” at the end of a trial

Greg Simon, MD, MPH, and Lorella Palazzo, PhD, discussed their recent chapter in the NIH Collaboratory’s “Living Textbook,” exploring how to navigate the hiatus between the end of an intervention and the return of effectiveness results.


​​August

Weighing in on new trial looking at urine-based HPV test


Beverly Green, MD, MPH, was interviewed for her perspective on a new study looking at urine tests for detecting the human papillomavirus (HPV).


July

Anticholinergics linked to physical declines in older adults

Using data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Study, Onchee Yu, MS, and colleagues found that higher use of anticholinergic medications was associated with faster declines in physical performance among older adults, providing further evidence that minimizing these medications is important for healthy aging.


June

Helping patients make informed decisions about weight-loss surgery

Read KPWHRI’s story.

An implementation project led by David Arterburn, MD, MPH, was featured in PCORInsights, the newsletter of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Using results from a PCORI-funded study comparing the benefits and risks of different weight-loss surgeries, the project team updated decision aids, trained clinicians on shared decision-making, and took other steps to support patients in making informed decisions about treatment.

  • PCORInsights, June 27
    Bringing shared decision-making to weight-loss surgery (link not available)

Reducing the risk of firearm-related suicide

Read KPWHRI’s story.
Watch related video.

Julie Angerhofer, PhD, MPH, discussed the program her team helped develop to reduce firearm-related suicide through risk screening, nonjudgmental firearm safety conversations, and free firearm cable locks for patients at Kaiser Permanente Washington.


April

Safely prescribing antipsychotic medications to youth

Robert Penfold, PhD, appeared on the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health's podcast to discuss his Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY) pragmatic trial, which was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.


Zero Suicide Model reduces suicide rates by 25%

Read KPWHRI’s story.

Gregory Simon, MD, MPH, was the senior author of a large, multistate study that found suicide attempts and deaths were lower after health systems adopted the Zero Suicide Model.


Tapering analgesics for chronic pain

Paige Wartko, PhD, MPH, who conducts research on opioid use, was interviewed about a new meta-analysis on the outcomes of pain medication tapering conducted by the STIMULUS Research Group.


Suicide care in primary care reduces suicide attempts

Read KPWHRI’s story.

A study led by Julie Angerhofer, PhD, MPH, found that safety planning and risk screening in primary care led to a 25% decrease in the rate of suicide attempts in the 90 days after medical appointments.


March

Reduced-dose chemotherapy more common in older women

Erin Bowles, MPH, led a study finding that older women diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely than younger women to receive chemotherapy doses below the amount recommended in guidelines.


February

Few EHRs support evidence-based care for unhealthy alcohol use

A study led by Katharine Bradley, MD, MPH, found that electronic health records (EHRs) in primary care practices often don’t adequately support alcohol-related prevention or treatment. 


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For the media

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Are you a member of the news media?

Our goal is to make your job easier. We can quickly arrange for you to interview our scientists about their research or the work of others. We can also provide news releases, photographs, videos, and backgrounders—and access to patients who participate in our research and would like to be interviewed. 


Media contact

For more on Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute news, please contact:

Bianca DiJulio
bianca.s.dijulio@kp.org
206-660-8333
After-hours media line: 206-448-4056