Neighborhood green space tied to lower health care costs
New Kaiser Permanente research finds health care system costs were lower for people who live in greener areas.
Kaiser Permanente
Division of Research Spotlight
The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research conducts, publishes, and disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and society at large. We seek to understand the determinants of illness and well-being, and to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care. Currently, DOR’s 550-plus staff is working on more than 350 epidemiological and health services research projects.
Filling in evidence gaps about preventive care
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.
A researcher’s career improving hospital care began with the youngest patients
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).
5 Questions for . . . Andy Avins
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.
Long-term exposure to air pollution increases risk of dying from heart disease and stroke
New study is first to quantify and compare the effects of long-term exposure to small particle pollution on risk for different types of cardiovascular disease.
Kaiser Permanente reduces hospitalizations even as sicker patients are admitted
Kaiser Permanente's Northern California hospitals reduced hospitalizations and readmissions even as patients' conditions increased in severity, a new analysis shows.
Pregnancy history of red-blood-cell donors not linked to higher mortality in transfusion recipients
Division of Research investigators participated in a multi-institution collaborative analysis, which supported the safety of current transfusion practice within Kaiser Permanente’s network of community hospitals.
Empowering Data to Improve Health
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.
Pokémon Go Craze Saw More Benefits than Injuries for Kaiser Permanente Patients
A study of patients' electronic medical records shows that, at the height of its popularity, the smartphone game resulted in injuries similar to those linked with other moderate-intensity outdoor activities.
Low Blood Sugar Emergencies Usually Go Unreported in Medical Records
A study of diabetes patients at Kaiser Permanente suggests that severe episodes of hypoglycemia occur far more often than is captured in electronic medical records, pointing to a nationwide need for improved tracking of these events.
