Informatics Archives

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Most e-visit users didn’t need follow-up care, research finds

March 24, 2021

Four out of 5 Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who used a simplified online e-visit for a basic health concern did not need follow-up care in the following week, a new analysis finds.

Kaiser Permanente data key to nation’s COVID-19 vaccine surveillance strategy

January 6, 2021

Kaiser Permanente’s Vaccine Study Center is leading a key part of the national safety surveillance effort for the COVID-19 vaccines, tracking patient data for serious side effects.

Can knowing common search terms lead to better usability of electronic health records?

March 6, 2020

Kaiser Permanente researchers’ study identified top search terms in the electronic health record and analyzed the relationships among search terms. They then used these data to identify what users were looking for most – and consider how they might find it more easily.

Patients with diabetes who used online tools managed their disease better

February 19, 2020

Patients with diabetes who used the Kaiser Permanente patient portal and mobile phone app improved their diabetes management outcomes, according to an analysis published Feb. 19 in JAMA Network Open.

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.

Clinical tool accurately predicts children’s appendicitis risk in Kaiser Permanente emergency rooms

June 19, 2019

Erring on the side of caution, emergency physicians tend to order CT scans to evaluate appendicitis in children, “but research shows that we weren’t necessarily catching more appendicitis,” Dr. Cotton said. “CT scans are costly and expose children to ionizing radiation that can increase the risk of cancer. At the same time, emergency physicians do not want to miss an important diagnosis like appendicitis.”

Study Finds Wide Variations in Projected Heart Benefits of Anti-Blood-Clotting Medications for People with Atrial Fibrillation

September 24, 2018

The reported rates of ischemic stroke in four large studies vary substantially, creating uncertainty about the predicted benefits of anticoagulation medication, according to new findings in Annals of Internal Medicine by Kaiser Permanente researchers and colleagues.

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.

New Kaiser Permanente Study Improves Follow-up of Chest Pain in Emergency Department Patients

February 13, 2018

OAKLAND, Calif. — A new study, which reviewed more than 118,000 patients arriving at Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California emergency departments...

World’s Most Impactful Researchers List Includes Kaiser Permanente Northern California Scientist and Oncologist

November 30, 2017

Alan Go, MD, of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, and Kaiser Permanente Northern California oncologist Louis Fehrenbacher, MD, are among the less than 400 people named as Highly Cited Researchers in clinical medicine for 2017 by Clarivate Analytics. The annual list recognizes investigators whose research ranks in the top 1 percent most cited works in their field, indicating exceptional scientific impact.

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.

Edmund (Ted) Van Brunt, former Kaiser Permanente research director and pioneer of electronic health records, dies at age 91

June 5, 2017

Edmund (Ted) Van Brunt, MD, former director of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and a pioneer in the use of electronic health records in medical science, died at his home in Berkeley on May 19, 2017. He was 91 years old.

Sepsis Risk Prediction Model Decreases Use of Antibiotics in Newborns

February 20, 2017

Kaiser Permanente, the largest integrated health system in the nation, led the development of a neonatal sepsis risk calculator that...

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