Research on health informatics at Kaiser Permanente Washington focuses on developing and using health information technology (IT) to transform health care delivery. By testing new paradigms of care that provide more opportunities to engage patients, this research is supplying valuable evidence that is helping shape federal policy and guiding innovative redesign of health care.
“We’re working to understand how to make health IT practical so patients and care teams find it useful and engaging,” explained Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) Senior Investigator James Ralston, MD, MPH. “We want to find ways to use information technologies to support patients and providers together, both inside and outside the office.”
Integral to this support is designing technologies that are user-friendly and meet the needs of both patients and providers. By applying human-centered methods that focus on needs, use, and usability, KPWHRI researchers inform the design of health IT with direct participation from users.
Groundbreaking methodological work by KPWHRI health informatics researchers includes developing natural language processing (NLP) to analyze text such as notes and written reports in electronic health records (EHRs). Assistant Investigator David Carrell, PhD, leads in the area of using NLP and machine learning to identify patient phenotypes, or specific health characteristics such as possible heart disease, risk of opioid overdose, or suggestion of colon cancer. This information can assist researchers in studying how genetics and other factors influence disease.
Other examples of KPWHRI health informatics research include projects using EHRs and secure electronic communications such as:
Examples of KPWHRI research in mobile health (mHealth) and user-centered design include:
“Our studies on using health IT to improve care are showing that we can achieve better outcomes when we shift care from the doctor’s office to where people live: in their homes—and online,” said Senior Investigator Beverly B. Green, MD, MPH.
Anderson N, Morrison C, Griffin J, Reiter W, Baldwin LM, Edwards K. Governance strategies for conducting text messaging interventions in clinical research. Clin Transl Sci. 2014 Apr;7(2):127-31. doi: 10.1111/cts.12156. PubMed
Ross TR, Ng D, Brown JS, Pardee R, Hornbrook MC, Hart G, Steiner JF. The HMO Research Network Virtual Data Warehouse: a public data model to support collaboration. eGEMS. 2014;2(1):Article 2. doi: 10.13063/2327-9214.1049. Available from: http://repository.academyhealth.org/egems/vol2/iss1/2. PubMed
Ralston JD, Cook AJ, Anderson ML, Catz SL, Fishman PA, Carlson J, Johnson R, Green BB. Home blood pressure monitoring, secure electronic messaging and medication intensification for improving hypertension control: a mediation analysis. Appl Clin Inform. 2014 Mar 12;5(1):232-48. doi: 10.4338/ACI-2013-10-RA-0079. eCollection 2014. PubMed
Mell MW, Pettinger M, Proulx-Burns L, Heckbert SR, Allison MA, Criqui MH, Hlatky MA, Burwen DR; for the WHI PVD Writing Workgroup. Evaluation of Medicare claims data to ascertain peripheral vascular events in the Women's Health Initiative. J Vasc Surg. 2014 Jul;60(1):98-105. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2014.01.056. Epub 2014 Mar 11. PubMed
Jago R, Drews KL, Otvos JD, Foster GD, Marcus MD, Buse JB, Mietus-Snyder M, Willi SM; HEALTHY Study Group. Effect of relative weight group change on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy derived lipoprotein particle size and concentrations among adolescents. J Pediatr. 2014 May;164(5):1091-1098.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.12.029. Epub 2014 Feb 5.J Pediatr. 2014 May;164(5):1091-1098.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.12.029. Epub 2014 Feb 5. PubMed
James D. Ralston, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Jennifer B. McClure, PhDDirector, Investigative Science |
Beverly B. Green, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Paula Lozano, MD, MPHSenior Investigator; Director, ACT Center |
Yates Coley, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
Brian D. Williamson, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
Annie Hoopes, MD, MPHActing Assistant Investigator |
Claire Allen, MPHManager, Collaborative Science |
Annie Piccorelli, PhDSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |