Kaiser Permanente Washington researchers are exploring how to improve prevention and treatment of health issues due to alcohol and other drug use. The addictions research group conducts innovative research to help patients and their providers prevent and treat problems caused by alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and other drugs in health settings.
A major focus of the addictions research group is how to integrate patient-centered care for alcohol and other drug use into medical settings. For more than 3 decades, their work has focused on the need for health systems to routinely measure and address alcohol and other drug use as part of whole-person health, in nonjudgmental, patient-centered ways.
"Our alcohol-related research has built tools — such as a brief video, handout, and a patient decision aid — that help overcome stigma so that patients and families can find the help they want and need," said Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPH, a senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) and internal medicine physician with Washington Permanente Medical Group.
The addictions research group is conducting a variety of studies to improve measures and documentation of substance use in the medical record. "We are working to find ways to easily document the extent of cannabis exposure for both medical and nonmedical use in electronic health records," said Gwen Lapham, PhD, MSW, a KPWHRI assistant investigator. Finding innovative ways to provide treatment is also a focus. "We are testing how to get proven online treatments for addiction into the hands of patients who could benefit," said Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSW, a KPWHRI associate investigator whose research at the institute is funded in part by an early-career award to study the effectiveness of treatments for alcohol use disorders in primary care.
These are among the group’s current studies:
These are among the studies that the addictions research group has completed:
The SPARC trial successfully implemented behavioral health care into primary care. On our website, you can access tools for behavioral health integration, as well as frequently asked questions and publications.
Jack HE, Berger DB, Bobb JF, Oliver MM, Bradley KA, Hallgren KA. Association between change in alcohol use reported during routine healthcare screening and change in subsequent hospitalization: A retrospective cohort study. Addiction. 2025 Jan 27. doi: 10.1111/add.16771. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Bradley K, McCormack J, Addis M, Hamilton LK, Lapham GT, Jonas D, Bishop D, Parsons D, Budimir C, Sanchez V, Bannon J, Villalobos G, Krist AH, Walunas T, Day A. Do electronic health records used by primary care practices support recommended alcohol-related care? JAMIA Open. 2024 4;7(4):ooae125. doi: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae125. eCollection 2024 Dec. PubMed
Triplette M, Snidarich M, Heffner JL, Omernik B, Ahmed A, Brooks E, Telew B, Crothers K, Brown M. A community-engaged research study to inform tailored programming for smoking cessation and lung cancer screening among at-risk LGBTQ+ elders. Health Promot Pract. 2024 Nov 21:15248399241296101. doi: 10.1177/15248399241296101. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Lapham GT, Hyun N, Bobb JF, Wartko PD, Matthews AG, Yu O, McCormack J, Lee AK, Liu DS, Samet JH, Zare-Mehrjerdi M, Braciszewski JM, Murphy MT, Arnsten JH, Horigian V, Caldeiro RM, Addis M, Bradley KA. Nurse care management of opioid use disorder treatment after 3 years: A secondary analysis of the PROUD cluster randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Nov 4;7(11):e2447447. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.47447. PubMed
Le P, Rich JJ, Bernstein EY, Glass J, Gasoyan H, Back SE, Bui TC, Ayers G, Rothberg MB. Disparities in treatment for alcohol use disorder among All of Us participants. Am J Psychiatry. 2024 Nov 1;181(11):973-987. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230730. PubMed
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSWSenior Scientific Investigator |
![]() Clarissa Hsu, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Gwen Lapham, PhD, MPH, MSWAssistant Investigator |
![]() Julie E. Richards, PhD, MPHAssociate Scientific Investigator |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() Yu-Ru Su, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Leah K. Hamilton, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() Noorie Hyun, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Jess Mogk, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Morgan Justice, MACollaborative Scientist |
![]() Theresa E. Matson, PhD, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
Kevin Hallgren, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
University of Washington
Emily Williams, PhD, MPH
Investigator
Health Services Research & Development
VA Puget Sound Health Care System
Edwin Wong, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Health Services and Population Health
University of Washington