Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) covers many fields, but much of what we do is health services research. That means we’re studying what really works — and what doesn't — in health care, with a focus on achieving aims including better population health, improved patient experience, and lower health care costs.
It all starts with Kaiser Permanente Washington’s learning health system, where research and practice work side by side to inform and improve each other. Researchers benefit from Kaiser Permanente Washington’s comprehensive capture of rich information about patients’ health, use of health care, and costs. Clinical leaders benefit from rigorous evaluations of novel innovations in care delivery and provider reimbursement.
“Together, we are learning what it takes to quickly translate what works into our health system — and track the long-term effects on outcomes that matter to patients, clinicians, and policymakers,” said David Arterburn, MD, MPH, a senior investigator. Here are just a few examples:
The impact of our health services research is extensive. Being part of the Kaiser Permanente system, along with our membership in the Health Care Systems Research Network, the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, and other national and international collaborations increases the size and diversity of our study populations. These connections also help KPWHRI shape care and policy beyond the Kaiser Permanente Washington system.
Steinfeld B, Scott J, Vilander G, Marx L, Quirk M, Lindberg J, Koerner K. The role of Lean process improvement in implementation of evidence-based practices in behavioral health care. J Behav Health Serv Res. 2015 Oct;42(4):504-18. doi: 10.1007/s11414-013-9386-3. Epub 2014 Jan 25. PubMed
Onega T, Weiss J, Kerlikowske K, Wernli K, Buist DS, Henderson LM, Goodrich M, Alford-Teaster J, Virnig B, Tosteson AN, DeMartini W, Hubbard R. The influence of race/ethnicity and place of service on breast reconstruction for Medicare beneficiaries with mastectomy. Springerplus. 2014 Aug 8;3:416. doi: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-416. eCollection 2014. PubMed
Lyles CR, Sarkar U, Ralston JD, Adler N, Schillinger D, Moffet HH, Huang ES, Karter AJ. Patient-provider communication and trust in relation to use of an online patient portal among diabetes patients: The Diabetes and Aging Study. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2013 Nov-Dec;20(6):1128-31. doi: 10.1136/amiajnl-2012-001567. Epub 2013 May 15. PubMed
Penfold RB, Zhang F. Use of interrupted time series analysis in evaluating health care quality improvements. Acad Pediatr. 2013 Nov-Dec;13(6 Suppl):S38-44. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2013.08.002. PubMed
O'Beirne M, Reid R, Zwicker K, Sterling P, Sokol E, Flemons W, Baker R, Clement F. The costs of developing, implementing, and operating a safety learning system in community practice. J Patient Saf. 2013;9(4):211-8. doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000052. PubMed
David E. Arterburn, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPHExecutive Director and Senior Investigator, KPWHRI; Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation, Kaiser Permanente Washington |
Robert Penfold, PhDSenior Investigator |
James D. Ralston, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Katie Coleman, MSPHDirector, ACT Center |
Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Paula Lozano, MD, MPHSenior Investigator; Director, ACT Center |
Jessica Chubak, PhDSenior Investigator |
Karen Wernli, PhDSenior Investigator |
Erin J. Bowles, MPHDirector, Collaborative Science |
Gwen Lapham, PhD, MPH, MSWAssistant Investigator |
Melissa L. Anderson, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
Eric Johnson, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
Lorella Palazzo, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
Paula R. Blasi, MPHSenior Collaborative Scientist |
Yates Coley, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSWSenior Scientific Investigator |
Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHSenior Collaborative Scientist |
Leah K. Hamilton, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
Chloe Krakauer, PhDCollaborative Biostatistician |
Claire Allen, MPHManager, Collaborative Science |
Theresa E. Matson, PhD, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
Nora Henrikson, PhD, MPHAssociate Investigator |
Douglas A. Conrad, PhD, MBA, MHA
Health Services and Dental Public Health Sciences
Center for Health Management Research
Finance and Business Economics
University of Washington (UW)
David Grembowski, PhD
Health Services and Dental Public Health Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Sociology, UW
Larry Kessler, ScD
UW Department of Health Services
Emily Williams, PhD, MPH
UW Department of Health Services; VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence