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:
Matson TE, Carrell DS, Bobb JF, Cronkite DJ, Oliver MM, Luce C, Ghitza UE, Hsu CW, Campbell CI, Browne KC, Binswanger IA, Saxon AJ, Bradley KA, Lapham GT. Prevalence of medical cannabis use and associated health conditions documented in electronic health records among primary care patients in Washington state. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 May 3;4(5):e219375. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.9375. PubMed
Heffner JL, Watson NL, Dahne J, Croghan I, Kelly MM, McClure JB, Bars M, Thrul J, Meier E. Recognizing and preventing participant deception in online nicotine and tobacco research studies: suggested tactics and a call to action. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 Apr 20:ntab077. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab077. Online ahead of print. PubMed
Hser YI, Ober AJ, Dopp AR, Lin C, Osterhage KP, Clingan SE, Mooney LJ, Curtis ME, Marsch LA, McLeman B, Hichborn E, Lester LS, Baldwin LM, Liu Y, Jacobs P, Saxon AJ. Is telemedicine the answer to rural expansion of medication treatment for opioid use disorder? early experiences in the feasibility study phase of a national drug abuse treatment clinical trials network trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2021;16(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s13722-021-00233-x. PubMed
Steel TL, Giovanni SP, Katsandres SC, Cohen SM, Stephenson KB, Murray B, Sobeck H, Hough CL, Bradley KA, Williams EC. Should the CIWA-Ar be the standard monitoring strategy for alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the intensive care unit? Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2021;16(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s13722-021-00226-w. PubMed
Aalsma MC, Aarons GA, Adams ZW, Alton MD, Boustani M, Dir AL, Embi PJ, Grannis S, Hulvershorn LA, Huntsinger D, Lewis CC, Monahan P, Saldana L, Schwartz K, Simon KI, Terry N, Wiehe SE, Zapolski TCB. Alliances to disseminate addiction prevention and treatment (ADAPT): A statewide learning health system to reduce substance use among justice-involved youth in rural communities. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2021 Mar 16:108368. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108368 [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