Research is often lauded for finding life-saving treatments for diseases like cancer or diabetes. But consider the impact of preventing such illnesses from developing in the first place. It’s hard to describe the value of stopping illness or injury from happening. Yet that’s the goal of research on preventive care.
Most 利记官网 Washington scientists study prevention, whether their work focuses on promoting health by influencing individual behavior, building sound prevention services into everyday clinical care, designing smart health coverage, or all three. By conducting their research at 利记官网 Washington—which combines care and coverage—our researchers have access to data from a large, stable population over time, allowing them to discover which approaches to prevention work best.
Examples include research in areas such as:
A team of researchers at 利记官网 Washington Health Research Institute (利记官网) produces reviews of scientific evidence that policymakers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and others use in health care decision-making. We do this work as part of the 利记官网 Research Affiliates Evidence-based Practice Center, one of 13 centers nationwide that are sponsored by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
We’re improving the safety and effectiveness of vaccines through clinical trials, and we’re monitoring how well each year’s new flu vaccines are working. In addition, we’re studying ways to better inform parents about the benefits and potential harms of childhood vaccines, to improve their uptake.
We’re working on several fronts to help ensure the safety of prescription drugs and other medical treatments. For example, we play a leading role in the Food and Drug Administration’s Sentinel program to monitor the safety of medical products through routinely collected electronic health care data. We’re exploring ways to improve the safety of prescribing opioid pain medications. And we often study the safety of drugs commonly used to prevent chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and depression.
Prevention also includes screening to detect disease before symptoms appear, to identify and treat disease at an earlier stage. Our research is improving the effectiveness of cancer screening programs so people get the appropriate tests when needed based on their particular risks. Our research is also aimed at improving clinical screening for behavioral risks such as smoking, suicidal thoughts, alcohol use disorders, and poor eating and exercise habits.
Our research in areas such as smoking cessation, healthy diet, and chronic illness care finds new ways to encourage individuals to adopt and maintain healthier lifestyles. At the same time, we’re exploring ways to reach large populations through the use of phone-based programs, websites, and mobile technologies.
US Preventive Services Task Force, Grossman DC, Bibbins-Domingo K, Curry SJ, Barry MJ, Davidson KW, Doubeni CA, Epling JW Jr, Kemper AR, Krist AH, Kurth AE, Landefeld CS, Mangione CM, Phipps MG, Silverstein M, Simon MA, Tseng CW. Screening for obesity in children and adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2017 Jun 20;317(23):2417-2426. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.6803. PubMed
Wernli KJ, Henrikson NB, Morrison CC, Nguyen M, Pocobelli G, Blasi PR. Screening for skin cancer in adults: updated evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA.2016;316(4):436-447. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.5415. PubMed
Annest JL, Fingerhut LA, Gallagher SS, Grossman DC, Hedegaard H, Johnson RL, Kohn M, Pickett D, Thomas KE, Trent RB. Strategies to improve external cause-of-injury coding in state-based hospital discharge and emergency department data systems: recommendations of the CDC Workgroup for Improvement of External Cause-of-Injury Coding. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2008;57(RR-1):1-15. PubMed
Arterburn D, Westbrook EO, Wiese CJ, Ludman EJ, Grossman DC, Fishman PA, Finkelstein EA, Jeffery RW, Drewnowski A. Insurance coverage and incentives for weight loss among adults with metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(1):70-6. PubMed
Arterburn DE, O'Connor PJ. A look ahead at the future of diabetes prevention and treatment. JAMA. 2012;308(23):2517-2518. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.144749. PubMed
Paula Lozano, MD, MPHSenior Investigator; Director, ACT Center |
Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Jessica Chubak, PhDSenior Investigator |
Dori E. Rosenberg, PhD, MPHSenior Scientific Investigator |
Karen Wernli, PhDSenior Investigator |
Erin J. Bowles, MPHDirector, Collaborative Science |
Melissa L. Anderson, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
Paula R. Blasi, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSWAssociate Investigator |
Julie E. Richards, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
Yu-Ru Su, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
Annie Hoopes, MD, MPHActing Assistant Investigator |
Pamela A. Shaw, PhD, MSSenior Biostatistics Investigator |
Claire Allen, MPHManager, Collaborative Science |
Nicole M. Gatto, PhD, MPHPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
Kelsey Stefanik-Guizlo, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
Theresa E. Matson, PhD, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
Meagan C. Brown, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
The division contributes to research across the institute with methodological and subject matter expertise.
利记官网 researchers answer questions about systematic reviews and their impact on health care guidelines.
Dr. David Grossman, with Dr. Bechara Choucair, has ideas for reducing harm to patients and the workforce
A 利记官网-led BCSC study is among the largest to evaluate adding MRI surveillance for breast cancer survivors.
Diana Buist and BCSC find screening MRI leads to more biopsies, finding fewer cancers, regardless of personal history of breast cancer: JAMA Internal Medicine.
Julie Richards’ research project is one of the first three funded by 利记官网’s Firearm Injury Prevention Task Force.
Read more in Recent News.
Results from a new paper suggest the importance of tailoring preventive health outreach, writes 利记官网's Susan Carol Bradford.