Delivery Science Archives

Medically complex patients with social risks use more medical services

September 27, 2024

Kaiser Permanente study finds up to 30% higher odds of hospital admissions, emergency department use, and mental health visits for patients with social needs.

Kaiser Permanente investigator will lead $4 million study to improve health of adults with multiple chronic conditions

August 13, 2024

Richard Grant will lead Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded study that will compare methods of addressing social needs to fill care gaps and improve health equity.

Delivery science bloomed under Division of Research Director Tracy Lieu

August 12, 2024

Tracy Lieu steps down as director of the Division of Research after a dozen transformative years leading an expansion of delivery science programs.

First National Enrichment Program held for early-stage investigators in diabetes translation and health equity research

July 18, 2024

Kaiser Permanente and Stanford co-hosted the first National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases-funded conference for Centers for Diabetes Translation Research investigators.

Electronic health records can identify patients in need of social support services

July 16, 2024

Kaiser Permanente researchers developed a predictive model to help identify adults with multiple health conditions in need of social support.

New clinical tool can help identify patients at high risk for liver cancer

July 11, 2024

Kaiser Permanente researchers have developed a liver cancer prediction model for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease.

Antiviral medications that treat hepatitis C improve long-term outcomes

June 17, 2024

New Kaiser Permanente study identifies some patients cured of hepatitis C who may not require semi-annual surveillance for liver cancer.

Food insecurity linked to severe low blood sugar in older patients with diabetes

May 20, 2024

New Kaiser Permanente study highlights the need to ask patients about both economic and physical food insecurity.

Prenatal detection rates for congenital heart disease can be achieved with fewer fetal echocardiograms

March 15, 2024

Kaiser Permanente study highlights success of its clinical pathway that refers only patients whose obstetrical screening ultrasound shows a fetal cardiac abnormality for a fetal echocardiogram.

Kaiser Permanente coordinates real-world demonstrations of AI, machine learning in health care

December 18, 2023

The Kaiser Permanente Augmented Intelligence in Medicine and Healthcare Initiative (AIM-HI) Coordinating Center awarded 5 health care organizations with funding to pursue research projects deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to enhance diagnostic decision-making in health care.

Early-career researchers embrace unique opportunity to improve health care

December 11, 2023

The Division of Research is currently hosting one of its largest groups of postdoctoral research fellows.

5 Questions for . . . Dana Sax

April 27, 2023

Kaiser Permanente physician researcher conducts studies focused on ways to improve how care is provided in the emergency department.

Emergency physicians correctly identify patients with lung blood clots who should be hospitalized

April 6, 2023

Kaiser Permanente study finds doctors use factors beyond risk stratification tools to determine if a patient can safely be treated at home.

Better outcomes seen in people with severe aortic stenosis who have scheduled common valve procedure

April 5, 2023

New research from Kaiser Permanente finds patients who need an emergency transcatheter aortic valve replacement have greater risks.

A decade of cultivating the next generation of delivery science researchers

March 22, 2023

Co-founded in 2012 by Richard W. Grant, MD, MPH, and Julie Schmittdiel, PhD, and funded by The Permanente Medical Group, the fellowship offers training and mentorship to junior investigators interested in research aimed at improving health care delivery.

Widely used triage method overestimates severity of a quarter of emergency department patients

March 17, 2023

A Kaiser Permanente study looking at the application of the Emergency Severity Index — a method commonly used to triage emergency department patients — found some imprecision, suggesting there may be an opportunity for the ESI to be updated.

Healthy lifestyle behaviors took a hit during shelter-in-place in people with prediabetes

March 6, 2023

Kaiser Permanente study found that during the pandemic’s shelter-in-place mandate it was harder for people with prediabetes to exercise and feel motivated to start or maintain healthy behaviors.

National quality measurements may not accurately reflect a hospital’s surgical risks

September 13, 2022

A new Kaiser Permanente study finds the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project report falls short on estimates of a patient’s risk of developing heart problems after surgery.

Shorter wait between COVID-19 and elective surgery possible

July 19, 2022

Kaiser Permanente researchers have good news for patients, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and hospital administrators who have had to put off elective surgery because of a positive COVID-19 test. Among fully vaccinated patients, there may not be an elevated risk with surgery soon after COVID-19.

Early antibiotics for sepsis supported in new study

June 27, 2022

A large multi-hospital analysis found that early antibiotics in sepsis patients resulted in improved health outcomes for them without posing unintended consequences for others, such as expanding overall antibiotic use or worsening antibiotic resistance.

Messages from doctors increased COVID-19 vaccination among Black, Latino elders

June 17, 2022

Elderly Black and Latino people were more likely to get a COVID-19 vaccination after they received an email or letter from their Kaiser Permanente doctor, new research finds.

COVID-19 patients did better if they had booster vaccination

June 16, 2022

A large Kaiser Permanente analysis of COVID-19 patients confirms the value of vaccination, finding higher rates of hospitalization and advanced medical care for COVID-19 patients who were unvaccinated, were vaccinated but not boosted, or who had an additional health condition such as obesity or heart disease.

Not all heart failure patients require hospitalization

June 10, 2022

Kaiser Permanente researchers have developed a risk stratification tool to guide hospital admissions from the emergency department for patients with acute heart failure.

Lower in-hospital mortality for vaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19

May 9, 2022

COVID-19 patients in Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals during the delta surge of 2021 were less likely to die in the hospital of COVID-19 if they were vaccinated, new research finds.

Heart bypass surgery may be best treatment after heart attack for some older adults

April 21, 2022

A new Kaiser Permanente study suggests that for many seniors bypass surgery may lead to better long-term outcomes than stenting.

National recognition for Kaiser Permanente early alert system

April 19, 2022

Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s life-saving Advance Alert Monitor (AAM) program — an early detection system that helps care teams predict when hospitalized patients are at risk for clinical deterioration — has been recognized by The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum.

Medical assistants help close virtual visit digital divide

April 11, 2022

Patients participating in video visits with their primary care doctors in fall 2020 benefited from having a medical assistant help connect the call, particularly if they needed language interpretation or lived in a low-socioeconomic-status neighborhood, according to new Kaiser Permanente research.

5 Questions for . . . Laura Myers

February 14, 2022

Kaiser Permanente research scientist and physician is helping to change the way pulmonary and critical care are provided.

Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infections are not explained by social risk factors

February 2, 2022

New Kaiser Permanente study suggests working and living conditions may be key contributors to disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in communities of color.

Filling in evidence gaps about preventive care

January 27, 2022

A new report from a consensus committee headed by Kaiser Permanente Division of Research Director Tracy Lieu, MD, MPH, for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), makes recommendations to accelerate the research needed to fill evidence gaps for clinical preventive services.

Some pulmonary embolism patients effectively treated in primary care

January 12, 2022

Some people who get blood clots in their lungs may be able to skip a visit to the emergency department and be managed safely by their primary care physicians, a new Kaiser Permanente analysis suggests.

Spinal anesthesia improves recovery outcomes in outpatient joint replacement

January 6, 2022

Patients undergoing outpatient total hip and knee replacement surgery had improved recovery outcomes when receiving spinal anesthesia compared with general anesthesia, a Kaiser Permanente study found.

A researcher’s career improving hospital care began with the youngest patients

December 9, 2021

Gabriel Escobar, MD, retires in December after 30 years as a research scientist with DOR and as regional director for hospital operations research for Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC).

Similar follow-up after telemedicine and office visits

November 16, 2021

Patients who made appointments to see their primary care doctors by video or over the phone did not seek substantially more follow-up care overall than those who had traditional in-person visits, according to Kaiser Permanente research published November 16 in JAMA Network Open.

Risk score assigns surgery patients to best level of preoperative counseling

November 11, 2021

A clinical decision support tool developed with predictive analytics could lead to more consistent patient preparation for elective surgery and reduce complications, according to Kaiser Permanente research published Nov. 10 in Annals of Surgery.

Patients who need language interpretation less likely to initially choose a video visit

November 4, 2021

Patients with limited English proficiency who need a language interpreter for a telemedicine visit were less likely to choose a video visit for their first time than patients who did not need an interpreter, Kaiser Permanente research found.

Diverse new class of postdoctoral fellows adds to research strength

October 19, 2021

The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research postdoctoral research program drew one of its largest-ever classes of fellows this year, building the strength of DOR’s research portfolio. Seven fellows cover fields from diet to dementia, cancer to clinical informatics, to women’s and children’s health, and more.

Researchers conduct largest-ever study of abdominal aortic aneurysms

September 20, 2021

Physician researcher Robert Chang, MD, used a Kaiser Permanente Northern California patient registry to determine a patient’s risk of having a large abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture.

Head and neck cancer patients benefit from patient-reported outcome surveys

August 18, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study shows survey tools routinely used in clinical trials can be successfully integrated into electronic medical records.

Predictive model paired with case management reduced rate of readmitted hospital patients

August 11, 2021

A follow-up program for Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients discharged from the hospital was associated with reduced readmissions without increased mortality, new research in the journal BMJ suggests.

For stomach cancer patients, a regionalized cancer care program can improve survival

August 2, 2021

New study describes how patients and physicians benefitted when Kaiser Permanente Northern California established a virtual, multidisciplinary gastric cancer team.

New tool for early identification of COVID-19 surges

July 26, 2021

Health systems could use data from routine clinical care to identify the onset of upcoming COVID-19 surges as many as 6 weeks before they occur, Kaiser Permanente researchers found in a study published in the journal BMJ Open.

Continuous glucose monitors help patients manage type 2 diabetes

June 2, 2021

New Kaiser Permanente study finds continuous glucose monitors are associated with improved blood sugar control and fewer visits to the emergency room for hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients treated with insulin.

5 Questions for . . . Andy Avins

May 4, 2021

Andy Avins, MD, MPH, has been studying what works, and what doesn’t, in medical care ever since a chance encounter in the hospital library with a journal that introduced him to the concept of evidence-based medicine.

Most stroke patients with severe symptoms could seemingly be treated at a primary stroke center

May 3, 2021

Even if emergency personnel were able to use the best stroke assessment tool available, most patients taken directly by ambulance to a comprehensive stroke center could have been treated at a primary stroke center instead, a new Kaiser Permanente study suggests.

Artificial intelligence can help improve care for people with heart disease

April 15, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study shows computerized interpretation of doctors’ echocardiogram reports can identify patients with aortic stenosis.

Pandemic increased mail order pharmacy use by people with diabetes, but racial disparities persist

April 13, 2021

Kaiser Permanente study finds less use among Black, Hispanic, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients compared to white and Asian patients.

New tool helps emergency medicine physicians provide more personalized care to patients with chest pain

March 31, 2021

Kaiser Permanente researchers have developed a more precise way to assess a patient’s risk of a heart attack, stroke, or other major heart-related problem within the next 60 days.

Reducing deaths from colorectal cancer

March 26, 2021

KP Research Radio speaks with research scientist and gastroenterologist Jeffrey K. Lee, MD, MAS, about the studies that led to Kaiser Permanente’s successful screening program.

Heart failure hospitalizations and deaths vary by race and ethnicity

January 25, 2021

Black patients with heart failure have higher rates of hospitalization for heart failure but lower rates of death than white patients with heart failure, a new Kaiser Permanente study shows.

Gaining insight into medically complex patients

December 11, 2020

New Kaiser Permanente study aims to help providers improve the health of patients most likely to sustain high medical costs, frequently use the emergency department, or need to be hospitalized.

Real-time in-hospital alerts associated with lower patient mortality

November 11, 2020

A sophisticated system that analyzes electronic data about hospital patients, identifies those at risk of deteriorating, and issues an alert to a centralized team of specially trained nurses resulted in a lower mortality rate, Kaiser Permanente researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Three clinicians join innovative Kaiser Permanente Northern California research cohort

November 9, 2020

Three Kaiser Permanente physicians have joined The Permanente Medical Group Physician Researcher Program, which allows them to continue their clinical work while pursuing specific research projects.

Easy-to-implement intervention reduced prostate cancer screening in men 70 and over

November 5, 2020

Kaiser Permanente research found a computerized alert that notifies health care providers when a prostate cancer screening test is not recommended improved adherence to PSA screening guidelines.

Targeted outreach can increase use of mail order pharmacies by people with diabetes

October 1, 2020

New Kaiser Permanente study found a targeted outreach campaign to people with type 2 diabetes encouraged them to use mail order pharmacy services and improved their medication adherence.

Housing instability linked with poor diabetes control

September 25, 2020

Kaiser Permanente study presented at international conference suggests moving once a year or more makes it harder for people with type 2 diabetes to adhere to their medications.

Telehealth appointments improve follow-up care in patients with heart failure

September 24, 2020

Kaiser Permanente study is the first to compare early telehealth approach to early in-person follow-up to prevent hospital readmissions.

New study aims to help older adults with type 2 diabetes cut back on medications

September 21, 2020

Richard Grant, MD, MPH, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, has received a $3.2 million, 5-year National Institutes of Health Institute on Aging grant to develop an online education program that uses advance care planning concepts to improve diabetes care for adults age 75 and older.

Helping patients make informed decisions about prostate cancer screening

September 17, 2020

Listen to our new KP Research Radio episode and learn more about the risks and benefits of the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer.

5 Questions for . . . Esti Iturralde

September 1, 2020

Clinical psychologist and mental health services researcher Esti Iturralde, PhD, aims to improve the overall health of people with mental illness.

Early colorectal cancer screening benefits African Americans

July 20, 2020

Kaiser Permanente researchers showed starting annual colorectal cancer screening at age 45 in African Americans can find colorectal cancers at a rate similar to that seen when screening starts after age 50 — the age most guidelines currently recommend.

Clinicians need to build bridges to transition care for young adults with autism

July 15, 2020

Young people with autism use more health care services and need assistance transitioning from pediatric to adult medical care, according to 2 new studies by researchers with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.

Kaiser Permanente researchers develop new prostate cancer risk calculator

July 13, 2020

A new prostate cancer risk calculator developed by Kaiser Permanente Northern California researchers may help men going through prostate cancer screening decide whether to have a prostate biopsy.

5 Questions for . . . Stephen Van Den Eeden

June 24, 2020

Research scientist Stephen Van Den Eeden, PhD, is a co-founder of the California Men’s Health Study, one of the largest and longest-running cohort studies of men in the world.

COVID-19 pandemic brings telehealth center stage for oncologists and their patients

May 4, 2020

A new Kaiser Permanente research paper explains how Kaiser Permanente Northern California quickly ramped up its existing telehealth oncology program at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Faces of Research

January 16, 2020

Diabetes, medication safety, and understanding chronic conditions are just some of the research areas a new class of postdoctoral fellows at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research will support. The 3 early-career researchers began their appointments this past year.

Physician researchers seek insights to deliver better care

December 17, 2019

Partnership brings TPMG clinicians to the Division of Research to evaluate care and implement solutions; introducing the 2nd class of physician researchers, and their projects.

Kaiser Permanente reduces hospitalizations even as sicker patients are admitted

December 4, 2019

Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California hospitals reduced hospitalizations and readmissions even as patients’ conditions increased in severity, a new analysis shows.

Kaiser Permanente research shows mastectomy patients recover safely at home

August 7, 2019

A study in Annals of Surgical Oncology finds that the rate of home recovery after mastectomy increased from 23% regionwide to 61% in the 6 months after the program started, with no significant changes in emergency-department visits, reoperations, or readmissions.

Kaiser Permanente machine learning analysis of sepsis illustrates condition’s complexity

July 17, 2019

A new machine learning algorithm developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers reveals the complexity of sepsis by sorting patients into recognizable treatment subgroups.

5 questions for . . . Richard Grant

May 14, 2019

“As a first-year medical student, I enjoyed learning about the pathophysiology of disease. But as I gained more experience caring for patients suffering from these diseases, I realized I wanted to focus more on understanding the patient’s experience.”

The New Faces of Health Care Research

January 22, 2019

Seven early-career researchers began their post-doctoral appointments this past year and represent not only diverse communities but diverse research interests as well. This is Part 1 of our new class profile.

Delivering the Next Generation of Diabetes Scientists

October 31, 2018

The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research has received a T32 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to train young scientists in translating research into practice for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

A Better Way to Assess Ovarian Cancer Risk

October 10, 2018

New radiology guidelines developed by Kaiser Permanente gynocological oncologist and researcher Betty Suh-Burgman, MD, allow women at higher risk for ovarian cancer to be promptly referred for surgical evaluation while women at low risk can safely avoid surgery.

“Reading” Patient Data to Personalize Medical Treatment

July 30, 2018

Delivery Science fellow Alison Fohner is learning to apply advanced computational tools to vast datasets, revealing new patterns that could improve treatment of sepsis and other conditions.

Partners of Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Patients More Likely to Adopt Healthy Behaviors

July 9, 2018

Partners of people with newly diagnosed diabetes are more likely to improve their health behaviors than partners of people without the disease, according to a large new Kaiser Permanente study published today in Annals of Family Medicine.

Empowering Data to Improve Health

July 2, 2018

The Division of Research’s Douglas Corley will be responsible for developing and implementing a new research program in The Permanente Medical Group that will advance the creation of evidence-driven strategies to improve the delivery of health care.

5 Questions for . . . Alyce Adams

June 20, 2018

Alyce Adams, PhD, tackles 5 questions about the barriers to health care among vulnerable patient populations and her motivation towards finding solutions.

Caring for Adults with Autism

April 27, 2018

April is Autism Awareness Month; a new body of Kaiser Permanente research highlights the needs of people with autism transitioning from pediatric to adult health care.

Rare Cancer Carefully Tracked and Treated

April 26, 2018

Technology allows a panel of urologists and oncologists to provide the most up-to-date treatment for every single person with testicular cancer at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Kaiser Permanente stroke patients receive clot-busting medication more than twice as fast as national rates

December 15, 2017

Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California are delivering clot-busting medication to new stroke patients more than twice as fast as the national average. This follows the region-wide adoption of an integrated telemedicine program, according to new research published December 15 in the journal Stroke.

Patient portals a helping hand for families

November 22, 2017

A new study – designed with the direct assistance of Kaiser Permanente members who use kp.org – shows just how valuable the patient portal has become for helping family members to participate in each other’s care.

Delivery Science fellowship powers nuanced cancer care research

October 31, 2017

Patients with cancer often face barriers to optimal care, and Devon Check, PhD, a second-year Delivery Science Fellow in the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, seeks to understand these hurdles inside and out.

Targeted analysis program seeks quick answers to pressing health care questions

September 5, 2017

An innovative program based at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research is breaking down barriers between researchers and clinical leadership, allowing them to work together on short-term projects that can directly and quickly impact care.

Physician researchers build bridges to health care innovation

June 27, 2017

David Vinson, MD, has been conducting research on nights and weekends for much of his 17-year career as an emergency-room physician in The Permanente Medical Group. A new program sponsored by TPMG will allow him to dedicate a portion of his clinical work week to research, while collaborating with investigators at the Division of Research.

Meet the Division of Research’s inaugural class of physician researchers

June 27, 2017

ROBERT CHANG, MD Vascular Surgery, South San Francisco “I’m thrilled to be a part of TPMG’s focus on clinical research...

Heartfelt Thanks for Heart Study Participants

November 21, 2016

Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson thanks CARDIA study participants for 30 years of contributions to medical research....

Jazz Diva of DOR finds her Ninth Muse

March 9, 2015

Opie Bellas is back, and she’s assembled an international treasure trove of songs that she interprets with the exquisite taste,...

Big Data Improves Care for Kaiser Permanente’s Smallest Members

June 9, 2014

Doctors in Kaiser Permanente’s neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can use an innovative online calculator to determine whether preterm and...

Happy 100th, Dr. Collen!

November 6, 2013

Morris Collen, MD, pioneer of computer-assisted health care, celebrates his centennial. Multimedia show: Dr. Morris Collen: A Remarkable Story In...

Electronic health records are linked to improved diabetes care for Kaiser Permanente patients

October 15, 2013

Video: KP scientists on electronic health records Kaiser Permanente’s electronic health records are world-renowned for their pivotal role in providing...

Study Targets Hypertension Disparity

July 22, 2013

This year, the KP Northern California Division of Research received an $11 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders...

DOR’s Lisa Herrinton Named Top KP Innovator for Specialty Disease Registries

May 31, 2013

For many years, the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research (DOR) has specialized in creating disease registries for common medical conditions...

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