Americans are using more prescription drugs than ever. Consequently, they’re coping with more side effects, drug interactions, and costs, especially if they’re using multiple medications. Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) scientists are on the forefront of answering questions about these concerns. We’re studying the beneficial and harmful effects of medications in real-world settings, and innovating better ways to manage and monitor drug use.
The institute contributes to national initiatives to monitor medication safety as well as providing information to help doctors and patients weigh the risks and benefits of various prescription drugs.
Funders of KPWHRI medication use and patient safety research include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and other sources. A few projects include:
Dublin S, Wartko P, Mangione-Smith R. Studying medication safety in pregnancy: a call for new approaches, resources, and collaborations. Pediatrics. 2020 Jul;146(1):e20201540. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-1540. Epub 2020 Jun 8. PubMed
Marcum ZA, Hohl SD, Barthold D, Zaslavsky O, Larson EB, Gray SL. Beliefs about benefits and harms of medications and supplements for brain health. Prev Med Rep. 2020 Jan 25;17:101060. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101060. eCollection 2020. 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
Parchman ML, Palazzo L, Austin BT, Blasi P, Henrikson NB, Gundersen G, Ganos E. Taking action to address medical overuse: common challenges and facilitators. Am J Med. 2020 Feb 4. pii: S0002-9343(20)30052-8. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.01.001. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Ike B, Baldwin LM, Sutton S, Van Borkulo N, Packer C, Parchman ML. Staff and clinician work-life perceptions after implementing systems-based improvements to opioid management. J Am Board Fam Med. 2019 Sep-Oct;32(5):715-723. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2019.05.190027. PubMed
![]() Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Jessica Chubak, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Andrea J. Cook, PhDSenior Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPHExecutive Director and Senior Investigator, KPWHRI; Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation, Kaiser Permanente Washington |
![]() Jennifer C. Nelson, PhDDirector, Biostatistics; Senior Investigator |
![]() David E. Arterburn, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Susan M. Shortreed, PhDSenior Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Karen Wernli, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Onchee Yu, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Rod L. Walker, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Robert D. Wellman, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Gaia Pocobelli, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() David S. Carrell, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Weiwei Zhu, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Maricela Cruz, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Brian D. Williamson, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Noorie Hyun, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Laurel Hansell, MA, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Jess Mogk, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
Susan Heckbert, MD, PhD
University of Washington (UW) Department of Epidemiology; UW Cardiovascular Health Research Unit
David Siscovick, MD, MPH
UW Department of Medicine; UW Department of Epidemiology; UW Cardiovascular Health Research Unit
Leslie Spangler, PhD
Amgen