Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

02/12/2026

New research from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Study provides more evidence that certain drugs may be more beneficial for brain health than others, potentially providing extra protection against . JAMA Network Open

Research supports theory that some blood pressure medications may provide extra protection against dementia.

02/11/2026

KPWHRI's Karen Wernli, PhD, joined the CHEST podcast to share her research on a communication intervention to encourage repeat screening.

Karen J. Wernli, PhD, discusses her research into additional health communication to improve patient knowledge of lung cancer screening timeliness.

Listen now: https://hubs.la/Q0426ZDy0

01/14/2026

KPWHRI is seeking healthy adult volunteers for a trial of a new COVID-19 vaccine given as a nasal spray. Administering the vaccine as a nasal spray offers the potential to create an additional layer of protection, known as mucosal immunity. Volunteers do not need to be members of Kaiser Permanente to take part.

KPWHRI is inviting healthy adults to take part — volunteers do not need to be members of Kaiser Permanente.

12/31/2025

As 2025 draws to a close, our year-end wrap-up highlights just a handful of the many research achievements at KPWHRI over the last 12 months. These include new findings on sitting habits, a study showing the benefits of for older adults with chronic , research improving , and much more. We wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy new year!

From acupuncture for chronic back pain to improved cancer screening, these are the research stories that made headlines over the last year.

12/12/2025

Nearly 1 in 10 adolescents and young adults diagnosed with nonmetastatic later develop recurrence, according to a new study. The research — which is the first of its kind to examine metastatic disease in this population — used data from the VOICE (Valuing Opinions and Insight from Cancer Experience) Study, which was co-led by KPWHRI Senior Investigator Jessica Chubak, PhD. JAMA Oncology

The findings highlight the need for tailored survivorship care.

12/03/2025

A new study led by Tessa Matson, PhD, MPH, reinforces the clinical value of the AUDIT-C screening tool, finding that patient-reported alcohol use is associated with .

“AUDIT-C has already proven to be a valuable screening tool in primary care, prompting clinicians to initiate conversations with patients about unhealthy alcohol use,” Matson said. “Linking AUDIT-C scores to mortality risk adds an important dimension to these conversations, which may help patients re-evaluate their drinking habits.”

New findings enhance clinical value of AUDIT-C screening for addressing unhealthy alcohol use in primary care.

11/21/2025

Yates Coley, PhD, and the advanced analytics team at KPWHRI's ACT Center recently published a paper describing a novel predictive model that identifies patients at high risk of hospitalization or death due to COVID-19 infection, helping care teams and patients make informed treatment decisions.

ACT Center paper describes a novel predictive model that identifies patients at high risk of hospitalization or death at Kaiser Permanente Washington.

10/24/2025

Read about the latest news and research from KPWHRI in our Fall 2025 newsletter. And don't forget to subscribe! https://kpwashingtonresearch.org/index.php/news-and-events/newsletter

10/01/2025

Mailing human papillomavirus ( ) self-test kits to patients is an effective and affordable way to boost screening rates, finds a new study conducted at Kaiser Permanente Washington and published in JAMA Network Open.

Study provides economic rationale for health systems to adopt mailed kits for cervical cancer screening.

09/19/2025

Lung cancer screening saves lives, but it needs to be repeated annually to detect cancers at an early stage. A new KPWHRI study led by Karen Wernli, PhD, found that well-timed outreach in print and video can boost awareness of repeat screening. Read about the findings and be sure to check out the "patient voices" video created for this research.

Well-timed outreach in print and video can boost awareness of repeat screening for lung cancer, study finds.

09/19/2025

Impactful research from KPWHRI researcher Erin Bowles, MPH, and affiliate investigator Diana Miglioretti, PhD, finding that 10% of pediatric blood and bone marrow cancers may have stemmed from radiation exposure.

New research finds that 10% of pediatric blood and bone marrow cancers may have stemmed from radiation exposure.

09/16/2025

Excited to share that a new study co-led by KPWHRI on for chronic low back pain in older adults was featured on Good Morning America!

Acupuncture may ease chronic lower back pain in older adults more effectively than standard care, a new JAMA Network Open study finds.