Our Research
Science to serve one goal: Better health
Scientists at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) have a rare advantage: We work within a system that provides both care and coverage. With a 360-degree view of people’s everyday health experience over time, we discover what works best to serve Kaiser Permanente's mission: better health.
We collaborate closely with Kaiser Permanente Washington's medical staff and other providers — gaining from their perspectives on practical approaches to health care’s toughest problems. Together, we create a learning health care system — a place where research strengthens practice and practice strengthen research.
Scientists
Working in the public interest
Our faculty work on interdisciplinary research teams, conducting about 300 studies at any given time. They partner with affiliate researchers and others from academic institutions and health systems and share findings in the public domain to serve the public good.
See our KPWHRI researcher directory.
Funding sources
A broad base of support
Most of our support comes from federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health. We also contract with biomedical companies and receive grants from private foundations. About 5 percent of our budget comes from Kaiser Permanente Washington.
See our list of funders.
Research
Remote programs effective for chronic pain, study finds
Telehealth and online cognitive behavioral therapy could expand treatment options for chronic pain in rural areas.
Recent publications
Wang P, O'Connell K, Bhimani J, Blinder V, Burganowski R, Ergas IJ, Gallagher GB, Griggs JJ, Heon N, Kolevska T, Kotsurovskyy Y, Kroenke CH, Laurent CA, Liu R, Nakata KG, Persaud S, Roh JM, Tabatabai S, Valice E, Sampathkumar Y, Monroy-Iglesias MJ, Bandera EV, Kushi LH, Kantor ED, Aiello Bowles EJ Evaluation of methods to identify chemotherapy-related hematologic toxicities in real-world settings 2026 Mar 15;158(6):1481-1488 doi:10.1002/ijc.70266. doi: 10.1002/ijc.70266. Epub 2025-11-28. PubMed
Lewis KH, Argetsinger S, LeCates RF, Zhang F, Arterburn DE, Ross-Degnan D, Fernandez A, Wharam JF Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Events Following Roux en Y Gastric Bypass versus Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Claims-Based Retrospective Cohort Study 2026 Mar;283(3):459-468 doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000006507. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006507. Epub 2024-08-23. PubMed
Green BB, Hansell LD, Hsu CW, Jones T, Luce C, Ralston JD, Munson SA, Davis B, Wright T, Anderson ML Evaluation of an Email Blood Pressure Measurement Outreach Program 2026 Mar;39(3):400-406 doi:10.1093/ajh/hpaf206. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpaf206. Epub 2025-10-15. PubMed
Bradley KA, Hyun N, Idu A, Yu O, Bobb JF, Wartko PD, Weinstein Z, Matthews AG, McCormack J, Lee AK, Samet JH Differences in benefits of office based opioid treatment: Secondary analyses across sub-groups in the PROUD randomized controlled implementation trial 2026 Mar;121(3):629-642 doi:10.1111/add.70221. doi: 10.1111/add.70221. Epub 2025-11-24. PubMed
Collaborate with us
KPWHRI welcomes partnerships with researchers outside of Kaiser Permanente as well as Kaiser Permanente clinicians and researchers. Learn more about collaborating with us.
Land Acknowledgment
Our Seattle offices sit on the occupied land of the Duwamish and by the shared waters of the Coast Salish people, who have been here thousands of years and remain. Learn about practicing land acknowledgment.