Kaiser Permanente thrive » research-study

Changing the way we manage disease through electronic health records

admin11kcesarz — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:31:22 +0000

Is kidney disease just the beginning?

A new, five-year project shows that the use of electronic health records by specialty and primary care doctors can lead to improved care and early intervention for those with serious health issues like kidney disease.

"The goal with kidney disease is to detect it early enough to make changes that will slow the disease down. If you're more likely to end up with kidney failure, we want to reach you in time to help prepare you for successful dialysis treatment," said Brian J. Lee, MD, the paper's lead author.

Learn more about the electronic health records project.

Study shows e-mail can improve your health

admin10kavesian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:33:31 +0000

Can your e-mail make you healthier? A new study from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research says yes.

In the study, more than 300 people received weekly e-mails at work urging them to make small health changes, such as eating fruit or walking for 10 minutes on their lunch break. By the end of the 16-week program, these people were more active, were eating more fruits and vegetables, and had reduced their intake of trans fats and saturated fats.

"The takeaway message here for people who want to improve their diet and physical activity, and for employers who want a healthier workforce, is that e-mail intervention programs are a very cost-effective way to get healthy," said study lead investigator Barbara Sternfeld, Ph.D., a senior research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research.

Find out why this e-mail intervention program was so successful.

Study shows that refusing to immunize your children can put others at risk

admin10kavesian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:28:35 +0000

Not getting your child vaccinated may put other children in the community at risk, a new study says.

In the study, children whose parents declined to have them vaccinated for whooping cough were 23 times more likely to get the illness.

“It also shows that the decision to refuse immunizations could have important ramifications for the health of the entire community,” says study lead author Jason Glanz, PhD, a senior scientist at Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Health Research. “Based on our analysis, we found that one in 10 additional whooping cough infections could have been prevented by immunization.”

Many parents who don’t have their children vaccinated often mistakenly believe they won’t be at risk for disease since most other children have been immunized, the researchers said.

Find out more about the study on the risks of not immunizing children.

Study finds that the extremely obese and those underweight face higher risk of death

admin10kavesian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:26:59 +0000

Your weight may increase your risk of death more than previously thought. A new study finds that being extremely obese or extremely underweight increases your risk of dying.

Being only slightly overweight eliminated much of that risk, say researchers, but don’t take that as an excuse to add extra pounds.

"Our study only looked at mortality, not at quality of life, and there are many negative health consequences associated with obesity, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes," says Mark Kaplan, coauthor of the study and a professor of community health at Portland State University.

Doctor recommendation: Good health is more than your BMI number.