Kaiser Permanente Washington researchers are exploring how to improve prevention and treatment of health issues due to alcohol and other drug use. The addictions research group conducts innovative research to help patients and their providers prevent and treat problems caused by tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and other drugs in health settings.
A major focus of the addictions research group is how to integrate patient-centered care for alcohol and other drug use into medical settings. Over the past three decades, their work has focused on the need for health systems to routinely measure and address alcohol and other drug use as part of whole-person health, in nonjudgmental, patient-centered ways.
"Our alcohol-related research has built tools—such as a brief video, handout, and a patient decision aid—that help overcome stigma so that patients and families can find the help they want and need," says Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPH, a senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) and internal medicine physician with Washington Permanente Medical Group.
The addictions research group is conducting a variety of studies. "We are working to find ways to easily document the extent of cannabis exposure for both medical and nonmedical use in electronic health records," says Gwen Lapham, PhD, MSW, a KPWHRI assistant investigator. "We are also testing how to get proven online treatments for addiction into the hands of patients who could benefit," says Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSW, a KPWHRI associate investigator. These are among the group’s current studies:
"We partnered with mental health and primary care leaders at Kaiser Permanente Washington to implement a program that addresses addictions and other common mental health concerns as part of routine primary care," says Amy K. Lee, MPH, a KPWHRI research associate. These are among the studies that the addictions research group has completed:
Hallgren KA, Matson TE, Oliver M, Witkiewitz K, Bobb JF, Lee AK, Caldeiro RM, Kivlahan D, Bradley KA. Practical assessment of alcohol use disorder in routine primary care: performance of an alcohol symptom checklist. J Gen Intern Med. 2021 Aug 16. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07038-3. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Williams EC, Chen JA, Frost MC, Rubinsky AD, Edmonds AT, Glass JE, Lehavot K, Matson TE, Wheat CL, Coggeshall S, Blosnich JR. Receipt of evidence-based alcohol-related care in a national sample of transgender patients with unhealthy alcohol use: Overall and relative to non-transgender patients. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2021 Jul 8:108565. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108565 [Epub ahead of print] PubMed
Bagley SM, Chavez L, Braciszewski JM, Akolsile M, Boudreau DM, Lapham G, Campbell CI, Bart G, Yarborough BJH, Samet JH, Saxon AJ, Rossom RC, Binswanger IA, Murphy MT, Glass JE, Bradley KA. Receipt of medications for opioid use disorder among youth engaged in primary care: data from 6 health systems. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2021;16(1):46. doi: 10.1186/s13722-021-00249-3. PubMed
Glass JE, Matson TE, Lim C, Hartzler AL, Kimbel K, Lee AK, Beatty T, Parrish R, Caldeiro RM, Garza McWethy A, Curran GM, Bradley KA. Approaches for implementing app-based digital treatments for drug use disorders into primary care: a qualitative, user-centered design study of patient perspectives. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(7):e25866. doi: 10.2196/25866. PubMed
Wartko PD, Boudreau DM, Turner JA, Cook AJ, Wellman RD, Fujii MM, Garcia RC, Moser KA, Sullivan MD. STRategies to Improve Pain and Enjoy life (STRIPE): protocol for a pragmatic randomized trial of pain coping skills training and opioid medication taper guidance for patients on long-term opioid therapy. Contemp Clin Trials. 2021 Jul 1:106499. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106499. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() David S. Carrell, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Lynn DeBar, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSWAssociate Investigator |
![]() Clarissa Hsu, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Gwen Lapham, PhD, MPH, MSWAssistant Investigator |
![]() Jennifer B. McClure, PhDDirector, Investigative Science |
![]() Julie E. Richards, PhD, MPHSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Kai Yeung, PharmD, PhDAssistant Investigator |
![]() Yu-Ru Su, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Leah K. Hamilton, PhDCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Noorie Hyun, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
Emily Williams, PhD, MPH
Investigator
Health Services Research & Development
VA Puget Sound Health Care System