Driving Better Care

How CHR Fuels KPNW

At the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research (CHR), we don’t just study health care — we drive its transformation.

As an integral part of Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW), CHR has been leading health services research that powers real change for more than 60 years — from the clinic to the community. Our work provides the hard evidence behind the care decisions that impact thousands of lives every day at Kaiser Permanente.

Why Our Research Matters

Health care is only as good as the evidence behind it. That’s where we come in. Health services research tackles the questions that matter most:

What works — and what doesn’t — in real-life care delivery and treatment?
How do we break down barriers that keep people from getting the care they need?
Which innovations will meaningfully move the needle on health outcomes, equity, and value?

Without rigorous research, health systems are steering through fog. Research shines a bright light that cuts through the fog to help Kaiser Permanente Northwest provide effective and efficient care.

What We Deliver for Kaiser Permanente Northwest

Sharper, Faster Clinical Decisions

We turn research into action. Our studies shape clinical guidelines, treatment pathways, and care models that lead to measurably better health outcomes for our members.

More Value for Every Dollar Spent

Health care is expensive — and wasting resources isn’t an option. We help Kaiser Permanente Northwest invest in what works, cutting out inefficiencies and focusing on interventions that deliver results. For example, our teams have developed and is testing a model to identify undiagnosed chronic kidney disease earlier. This supports cost savings through resource optimization and prevention of disease progression. For patients in low-income ZIP codes, our evaluation of the IMPaCT Program (winner of the 2024 James A. Vohs Quality Award) showed that it reduced hospital days and increased primary care use, demonstrating a measurable return on care investment.

Focus on Equity

We work every day to find ways to eliminate health disparities. Our research identifies where gaps exist and drives targeted solutions to ensure all of our members get the care they deserve.

Proof Behind the Innovation

Innovation without evidence is just guesswork. We provide the needed proof points behind Kaiser Permanente Northwest’s innovation, from new and innovative treatments to digital health to programs that help identify and meet our members’ basic needs. For example, in our Perinatal Outcomes Study, the analysis we conducted comparing outcomes of traditional vs. hybrid prenatal care models will provide evidence for continued and expanded use of telehealth-supported prenatal care. In addition, our team partnered with the KPNW Quality Program to evaluate the RN Cervical Cancer Screening Program in KPNW, which showed that the program closed care gaps more effectively through RN-led access improvements. These findings will support spread of the model across KPNW.

Our Researchers are Kaiser Permanente Members

CHR isn’t just embedded in the KPNW health system administratively – our scientists and research staff are Kaiser Permanente members themselves and receive the same care that our members do. In fact, many of our scientists are both patients and clinicians in the system as well. This true integration allows us to best understand the member and clinician experience firsthand and gives us the lived experience required to pose and answer the real-world, practical questions that our patients and providers face every day. By being equipped with Kaiser Permanente’s vast real-world data, living and working in the Northwest, and receiving the same care, our team has the strategic edge that sets us apart.

Research That Changes Care

Here are just two of the many ways we are changing the way care is delivered to our members:

Clinical Trials

In place for more than 50 years, CHR’s clinical trials program is one of the best in the region. With more than 100 active clinical trials, the vast majority of them in cancer treatment, CHR’s program provides our members with early access to cutting-edge therapies, diagnostics, and technologies that may not yet be available outside of a research setting. Learn more about how our clinical trials program benefits our members, our community, and the KPNW delivery system.

Learning Health System

To deliver the best care to patients, Kaiser Permanente Northwest health system leaders rely on the KP Center for Health Research. CHR’s Learning Health System (LHS) Team supports the KPNW health plan with a broad range of projects. The team responds to requests from health plan leaders and gathers evidence in real-time to guide and improve care delivery.

The Research Advantage

At Kaiser Permanente Northwest, research isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a competitive advantage.

In an industry driven by change, we provide the proof and strategy to lead that change.

No guesswork. No wasted effort. Just results.

This is how Kaiser Permanente Northwest stays ahead — and how we deliver better, smarter, more equitable care for the communities and members we serve.