Cancer biopsy during colonoscopy doesn’t start new tumors
Kaiser Permanente clinical research finds patients who have a site biopsied after a suspected cancer is biopsied are not more likely to develop a second cancer.
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.
Lower in-hospital mortality for vaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19
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.
New radiology reporting system decreased time to pancreatic cancer diagnoses
A new Kaiser Permanente study shows that having radiologists use standardized terms and hashtags to describe what they see creates a clearer path for physician follow-up that can lead to earlier detection of pancreatic cancer.
New, innovative support for people with serious mental illness
An innovative telehealth program at Kaiser Permanente Northern California has added psychiatric clinical pharmacists to the care teams treating people with serious, persistent mental illness.
Medical assistants help close virtual visit digital divide
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.
No difference found in infant outcomes between glyburide and insulin for gestational diabetes
A study of 11,321 patients treated for gestational diabetes with insulin or the medication glyburide did not find a difference in cesarean section rates or outcomes for the patients’ infants, suggesting many people with gestational diabetes could forego insulin injections in favor of taking a pill.
Coronavirus may double severe complications in pregnancy
A Kaiser Permanente analysis of pregnant patients who tested positive for the coronavirus found more than double the risk of poor outcomes including preterm birth, venous thromboembolism (blood clot), and severe maternal morbidity, which includes conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis.
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.
Mammography can offer clues to a woman’s heart health
Kaiser Permanente research ties the presence of breast arterial calcification seen on screening mammography to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Early data on COVID-19 vaccine in teens shows booster effectiveness
An analysis of early data on the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children and teens found that a third shot, or booster, extended protection against emergency department and urgent care visits in 16- and 17-year-olds.
