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:
Chavez LJ, Bonny AE, Bradley KA, Lapham GT, Cooper J, Miller W, Chisolm DJ. Medication treatment and health care use among adolescents with opioid use disorder in Ohio. J Adolesc Health. 2020 Apr 7. pii: S1054-139X(20)30043-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.01.016. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Richards JE, Shortreed SM, Simon GE, Penfold RB, Glass JE, Ziebell R, Williams EC. Association between patterns of alcohol use and short-term risk of suicide attempt among patients with and without reported suicidal ideation. J Addict Med. 2020 Mar 5. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000637. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Boudreau DM, Lapham G, Johnson EA, Bobb JF, Matthews AG, McCormack J, Liu D, Samet JH, Campbell CI, Rossom RC, Binswanger IA, Yarborough BJH, Arnsten JH, Cunningham CO, Glass JE, Murphy MT, Zare M, Hechter R, Ahmedani B, Braciszewski JM, Horigian VE, Szapocznik J, Samet JH, Saxon AJ, Schwartz RP, Bradley KA. Documented opioid use disorder and its treatment in primary care patients across six US health systems. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2020 Mar;112S:41-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2020.02.001. PubMed
Shoemaker-Hunt SJ, Evans L, Swan H, Bacon O, Ike B, Baldwin LM, Parchman M. Study protocol for evaluating Six Building Blocks for Opioid Management implementation in primary care practices. Implement Sci Commun. 2020 Feb 26;1:16. doi: 10.1186/s43058-020-00008-6. eCollection 2020. PubMed
Williams EC, Matson TE, Harris AHS. Strategies to increase implementation of pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorders: a structured review of care delivery and implementation interventions. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2019 Feb 12;14(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s13722-019-0134-8. PubMed
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Denise M. Boudreau, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() David S. Carrell, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Lynn DeBar, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSWAssociate Investigator |
![]() Clarissa Hsu, PhDAssistant Investigator |
![]() Gwen Lapham, PhD, MPH, MSWAssistant Investigator |
![]() Amy K. Lee, MPHResearch Associate |
![]() Jennifer B. McClure, PhDDirector of Research, Faculty, & Development; Senior Investigator |
![]() Julie E. Richards, PhD, MPHResearch Associate II |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHResearch Associate |
![]() Kai Yeung, PharmD, PhDAssistant Investigator |
![]() Yu-Ru Su, PhDAssistant Investigator |
Emily Williams, PhD, MPH
Investigator
Health Services Research & Development
VA Puget Sound Health Care System