Anjali Gopalan, MD, MS

anjali.gopalan@kp.org

Kaiser Permanente Researcher Profiles

Gopalan, Anjali

Anjali Gopalan, MD, MS, is a research scientist in the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Dr. Gopalan received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and biology from Rice University. She completed medical school at Washington University in St. Louis. She then went on to complete an internal medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of the program’s primary care track. Following residency she was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree in Health Policy Research. Her current research interests include the roles of information and communication for patients with chronic disease. Specifically, she is interested in researching alternative, more effective ways to present medical information to patients regarding chronic disease management, particularly diabetes.

Current Positions

  • Research Scientist II, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
  • Physician, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center

Section Affiliations

Primary Research Interests

  • Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes
  • Patient-provider communication
  • Information and risk presentation strategies
  • Behavioral economics

Studies

Risk-stratified care for KPNC members with newly diagnosed diabetes: A randomized trial

This pragmatic, randomized trial will compare proactive and tailored outreach for high-risk patients by a PCP, diabetes care manager, health educator, and nutritionist vs. usual care on diabetes outcomes. High-risk patients will be identified using a previously developed and validated predictive model.  

Investigator: Gopalan, Anjali

Funder: TPMG Delivery Science Projects Program

Tailoring initial type 2 diabetes care to meet the needs of younger Latinx adults: A randomized pilot study

Our goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of a proactive, tailored care intervention in improving early outcomes for Latinx individuals with younger-onset type 2 diabetes. We will also conduct post-intervention interviews with study participants to identify components of the intervention that may have contributed to the observed outcomes and perform an environmental scan of type 2 diabetes care and resources in our partner Kaiser Permanente regions to lay the groundwork for future dissemination of the intervention.

Investigator: Gopalan, Anjali

Funder: American Diabetes Association

Tailoring care to meet the needs of younger Latinx adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

We will evaluate a culturally responsive community health worker (CHW) intervention targeting younger-onset Latinx individuals with a new type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis (AURORA [Active Outreach to Younger Latinx]). The AURORA strategy centers on a CHW who will proactively conduct three telemedicine visits tailored to with the following five goals: 1) T2D self-management education, 2) assessment of individual’s self-management support needs, 3) motivational interviewing to support behavior change, 4) pragmatic skills training, including use of crucial technologies to support self-management, and 5) matching member’s needs with existing KPNC T2D resources.

Investigator: Gopalan, Anjali

Funder: Garfield Memorial Fund

Using predictive analytics to tailor care for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

In a population of adults newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) from 2010-2015 and followed for 5 years this study will use machine learning-based predictive analytic methods to develop and validate predictive models using EHR-derived patient data available at the time of T2D diagnosis to identify patients at increased risk for suboptimal 1-year and 5-year glycemic trends. Secondary predictive models will be developed to identify individuals at increased risk for other adverse T2D-outcomes, including microalbuminuria, microvascular disease, and macrovascular disease. The study will also develop and validate predictive models that include data from the first year following T2D diagnosis to identify patients at increased risk for suboptimal 5-year glycemic trends.

Investigator: Gopalan, Anjali

Funder: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Age- and race/ethnic-based disparities in diabetes outcomes among younger adults with newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

This study will conduct focus groups with KPNC members (age 45) with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes to learn about members’ experiences with this new diagnosis and to identify early facilitators of and barriers to effective diabetes management in this group.

Investigator: Gopalan, Anjali

Funder: Northern California Community Benefit Programs

Metformin Initiation and Early Adherence among Kaiser Permanente Northern California Members with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

Aim 1: Identify patient-level predictors of metformin treatment during the year following type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Examined factors will include: demographics, such as age, race/ethnicity, gender, and rural versus urban; clinical characteristics, such as A1c at diagnosis, diabetes-related comorbidities (hypertension, renal disease), number/type of other medications used, and gastrointestinal comorbidities (irritable bowel, H. pylori); and other care-related factors, such as medication copays, in-person visit copays, flu vaccination (proxy for openness to traditional treatment approaches), length of Kaiser Permanente Northern California membership, and primary care physician (PCP) contact/empanelment time.
Aim 2: Identify provider-level predictors of early metformin treatment during the year following type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Examined factors will include: ordering provider type, such as PCP vs. other medical doctor versus other (e.g., population manager); PCP characteristics, such as PCP-member race concordance, PCP years in practice, and number of type 2 diabetes patients in panel; and primary Kaiser Permanente Northern California facility.

Investigator: Gopalan, Anjali

Funder: Northern California Community Benefit Programs

The Initial Care of Younger Adults with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

​In a population of adults with newly diagnosed, early onset type 2 diabetes, this study will identify patient-, provider-, and system-level predictors of inadequate glycemic control within one year following diagnosis. A longitudinal, retrospective cohort analysis of electronic health record data will be conducted to examine associations between select factors and early glycemic control. This study will also explore barriers to and facilitators of type 2 diabetes care; patients and providers will be engaged in a qualitative process to identify barriers and facilitators affecting early diabetes care. Lastly, this project will examine associations between patient-reported factors and early glycemic control. To extend characterization of potentially modifiable care barriers in this population, validated instruments (selected based on existing literature and study findings) will be used to survey a cohort of patients and follow this cohort prospectively for one year to assess relationships between responses and glycemic control.

Investigator: Gopalan, Anjali

Funder: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Publications

Downstream Emergency Department and Hospital Utilization Comparably Low Following In-Person Versus Telemedicine Primary Care for High-Risk Conditions

Authors: Sax, Dana R;Kene, Mamata V;Huang, Jie;Gopalan, Anjali;Reed, Mary E

J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Oct;39(13):2446-2453. Epub 2024-07-12.

PubMed abstract

Primary Care Telemedicine and Care Continuity: Implications for Timeliness and Short-term Follow-up Healthcare

Authors: Graetz, Ilana;Huang, Jie;Gopalan, Anjali;Muelly, Emilie;Millman, Andrea;Reed, Mary E

J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Oct;39(13):2454-2460. Epub 2024-07-17.

PubMed abstract

“Complete and Accurate, and Warmhearted Too”: Telemedicine Experiences and Care Needs of Mandarin-Speaking Patients with Limited English Proficiency

Authors: Hsueh, Loretta;Zheng, Michael;Huang, Jie;Millman, Andrea;Patel, Reysha;Gopalan, Anjali;Teran, Silvia;Parikh, Rahul;Reed, Mary

J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Aug 13.

PubMed abstract

Patterns of Telemedicine Use in Primary Care for People with Dementia in the Post-pandemic Period

Authors: Adler-Milstein, Julia;Gopalan, Anjali;Huang, Jie;Toretsky, Christopher;Reed, Mary

J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Jul 24.

PubMed abstract

Patient-reported Primary Care Video and Telephone Telemedicine Preference Shifts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors: Millman, Andrea;Huang, Jie;Graetz, Ilana;Lee, Catherine;Shan, Judy;Hsueh, Loretta;Muelly, Emilie;Gopalan, Anjali;Reed, Mary

Med Care. 2023 Nov 01;61(11):772-778. Epub 2023-09-19.

PubMed abstract

Telemedicine Versus In-Person Primary Care: Treatment and Follow-up Visits

Authors: Reed, Mary;Huang, Jie;Somers, Madeline;Hsueh, Loretta;Graetz, Ilana;Millman, Andrea;Muelly, Emilie;Gopalan, Anjali

Ann Intern Med. 2023 Oct;176(10):1349-1357.

PubMed abstract

Association of Medical Assistant Virtual Rooming with Vital Signs Documentation and Health Behavior Screening in Patients with Diabetes

Authors: Somers, Madeline;Hsueh, Loretta;Huang, Jie;Gopalan, Anjali;Mulley, Emilie;Graetz, Ilana;Reed, Mary

J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Aug 24.

PubMed abstract

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Medication Initiation Among Adults Newly Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Authors: Gopalan, Anjali; Winn, Aaron N; Karter, Andrew J; Laiteerapong, Neda

J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Mar;38(4):994-1000. Epub 2022-08-04.

PubMed abstract

Cross-Sectional Association of Patient Language and Patient-Provider Language Concordance with Video Telemedicine Use Among Patients with Limited English Proficiency

Authors: Hsueh, Loretta; Huang, Jie; Millman, Andrea K; Gopalan, Anjali; Parikh, Rahul K; Teran, Silvia; Reed, Mary E

J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Feb;38(3):633-640. Epub 2022-11-10.

PubMed abstract

Primary care video and telephone telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: treatment and follow-up health care utilization

Authors: Huang, Jie; Gopalan, Anjali; Muelly, Emilie; Hsueh, Loretta; Millman, Andrea; Graetz, Ilana; Reed, Mary

Am J Manag Care. 2023 Jan 01;29(1):e13-e17. Epub 2023-01-01.

PubMed abstract

The association between video or telephone telemedicine visit type and orders in primary care

Authors: Juergens, Nathan; Huang, Jie; Gopalan, Anjali; Muelly, Emilie; Reed, Mary

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2022 Nov 19;22(1):302. Epub 2022-11-19.

PubMed abstract

Identifying modifiable obesogenic behaviors among Latino adolescents in primary pediatric care.

Authors: Rodriguez LA; Gopalan A; Darbinian JA; Chandra M; Greenspan LC; Howell A; Lo JC

Prev Med Rep. 2022 Jul 30;29:101939. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101939. eCollection 2022 Oct.

PubMed abstract

Primary Care Visits Are Timelier When Patients Choose Telemedicine: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Authors: Graetz, Ilana; Huang, Jie; Muelly, Emilie; Gopalan, Anjali; Reed, Mary E

Telemed J E Health. 2022 Sep;28(9):1374-1378. Epub 2022-02-03.

PubMed abstract

Video Telehealth Access and Changes in HbA1c Among People With Diabetes

Authors: Graetz, Ilana; Huang, Jie; Muelly, Emilie R; Hsueh, Loretta; Gopalan, Anjali; Reed, Mary E

Am J Prev Med. 2022 05;62(5):782-785. Epub 2021-12-08.

PubMed abstract

Primary care telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient’s choice of video versus telephone visit

Authors: Huang, Jie; Graetz, Ilana; Millman, Andrea; Gopalan, Anjali; Lee, Catherine; Muelly, Emilie; Reed, Mary E

JAMIA Open. 2022 Apr;5(1):ooac002. Epub 2022-01-19.

PubMed abstract

All in the Family: A Qualitative Study of the Early Experiences of Adults with Younger Onset Type 2 Diabetes

Authors: Gopalan, Anjali; Blatchins, Maruta A; Xu, Karen K; Altschuler, Andrea; Marshall, Cassondra J; Hessler, Danielle M; Fernandez, Alicia; Grant, Richard W

J Am Board Fam Med. 2022 Mar-Apr;35(2):341-351.

PubMed abstract

Engaging patients in population-based chronic disease management: A qualitative study of barriers and intervention opportunities

Authors: Fang, Anya; Abdelgadir, Dana; Gopalan, Anjali; Ross, Thekla; Uratsu, Connie S; Sterling, Stacy A; Grant, Richard W; Iturralde, Esti

Patient Educ Couns. 2022 01;105(1):182-189. Epub 2021-05-04.

PubMed abstract

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Age at Diabetes Diagnosis-A Call for Action

Authors: Gopalan, Anjali; Habib, Anand R; Grant, Richard W

JAMA Intern Med. 2021 12 01;181(12):1560-1561.

PubMed abstract

Disparities in Use of Video Telemedicine Among Patients With Limited English Proficiency During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors: Hsueh, Loretta; Huang, Jie; Millman, Andrea K; Gopalan, Anjali; Parikh, Rahul K; Teran, Silvia; Reed, Mary E

JAMA Netw Open. 2021 11 01;4(11):e2133129. Epub 2021-11-01.

PubMed abstract

Updated USPSTF Screening Recommendations for Diabetes: Identification of Abnormal Glucose Metabolism in Younger Adults

Authors: Grant, Richard W; Gopalan, Anjali; Jaffe, Marc G

JAMA Intern Med. 2021 10 01;181(10):1284-1286.

PubMed abstract

The Role of Community-Based Organizations in Improving Chronic Care for Safety-Net Populations

Authors: Nguyen, Kim Hanh; Fields, Jessica D; Cemballi, Anupama G; Desai, Riya; Gopalan, Anjali; Cruz, Tessa; Shah, Aekta; Akom, Antwi; Brown, William; Sarkar, Urmimala; Lyles, Courtney Rees

J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Jul-Aug;34(4):698-708.

PubMed abstract

Disclosure of New Type 2 Diabetes Diagnoses to Younger Adults: a Qualitative Study

Authors: Gopalan, Anjali; Blatchins, Maruta A; Altschuler, Andrea; Mishra, Pranita; Fakhouri, Issa; Grant, Richard W

J Gen Intern Med. 2021 06;36(6):1622-1628. Epub 2021-01-26.

PubMed abstract

Visit Content Analysis: Doctor-Patient Communication in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Authors: Abdelgadir, Dana A; Rodriguez, Laurie M; Blatchins, Maruta A; Mishra, Pranita; Gopalan, Anjali; Grant, Richard W

Perm J. 2021 05;25.

PubMed abstract

Initial Glycemic Control and Care Among Younger Adults Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes

Authors: Gopalan A; Mishra P; Alexeeff SE; Blatchins MA; Kim E; Man A; Karter AJ; Grant RW

Diabetes Care. 2020 05;43(5):975-981. Epub 2020-03-04.

PubMed abstract

Testing patient-informed approaches for visually depicting the hemoglobin A1c value to patients with poorly controlled diabetes: a randomized, controlled trial

Authors: Gopalan A; Suttner L; Troxel AB; McDonough K; Schapira MM

BMC Health Serv Res. 2020 Mar 06;20(1):178. Epub 2020-03-06.

PubMed abstract

Use and Discontinuation of Insulin Treatment Among Adults Aged 75 to 79 Years With Type 2 Diabetes

Authors: Weiner JZ; Gopalan A; Mishra P; Lipska KJ; Huang ES; Laiteerapong N; Karter AJ; Grant RW

JAMA Intern Med. 2019 12 01;179(12):1633-1641.

PubMed abstract

Use of financial incentives and text message feedback to increase healthy food purchases in a grocery store cash back program: a randomized controlled trial

Authors: Gopalan A; Shaw PA; Lim R; Paramanund J; Patel D; Zhu J; Volpp KG; Buttenheim AM

BMC Public Health. 2019 May 31;19(1):674. Epub 2019-05-31.

PubMed abstract

Prevalence and predictors of delayed clinical diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study

Authors: Gopalan A; Mishra P; Alexeeff SE; Blatchins MA; Kim E; Man AH; Grant RW

Diabet Med. 2018 12;35(12):1655-1662. Epub 2018-09-21.

PubMed abstract

Exploring how patients understand and assess their diabetes control

Authors: Gopalan A; Kellom K; McDonough K; Schapira MM

BMC Endocr Disord. 2018 Nov 06;18(1):79. Epub 2018-11-06.

PubMed abstract

Research to Change Health Delivery Systems: On the Outside Looking in?

Authors: Gopalan A; Grant RW

J Gen Intern Med. 2018 10;33(10):1592-1593.

PubMed abstract

Identifying Geographic Disparities in Diabetes Prevalence Among Adults and Children Using Emergency Claims Data

Authors: Lee DC; Gallagher MP; Gopalan A; Osorio M; Vinson AJ; Wall SP; Ravenell JE; Sevick MA; Elbel B

J Endocr Soc. 2018 May 01;2(5):460-470. Epub 2018-04-17.

PubMed abstract

A systematic review of care management interventions targeting multimorbidity and high care utilization

Authors: Baker JM; Grant RW; Gopalan A

BMC Health Serv Res. 2018 01 30;18(1):65. Epub 2018-01-30.

PubMed abstract

Population Health Management for Diabetes: Health Care System-Level Approaches for Improving Quality and Addressing Disparities

Authors: Schmittdiel JA; Gopalan A; Lin MW; Banerjee S; Chau CV; Adams AS

Curr Diab Rep. 2017 May;17(5):31.

PubMed abstract

Randomised controlled trial of alternative messages to increase enrolment in a healthy food programme among individuals with diabetes

Authors: Gopalan A; Paramanund J; Shaw PA; Patel D; Friedman J; Brophy C; Buttenheim AM; Troxel AB; Asch DA; Volpp KG

BMJ Open. 2016 11 30;6(11):e012009. Epub 2016-11-30.

PubMed abstract

Health-Specific Information and Communication Technology Use and Its Relationship to Obesity in High-Poverty, Urban Communities: Analysis of a Population-Based Biosocial Survey

Authors: Gopalan A; Makelarski JA; Garibay LB; Escamilla V; Merchant RM; Wolfe MB; Holbrook R; Lindau ST

J Med Internet Res. 2016 Jun 28;18(6):e182. Epub 2016-06-28.

PubMed abstract

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