As the Division of Research (DOR) celebrates its 50th birthday this year, it is safe to say that the DOR has become a central component in Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to maintain and improve the health of its member population.
That commitment began with an early appreciation that our unique capacities for research derive from the fact that we provide comprehensive health care services to a defined population.
It also derived from the vision of Morris F. Collen, MD, the DOR’s founding director. With the support of Sidney Garfield, MD, Morrie saw the utility and power of using computer technology to enhance clinical care through research. His pioneering work provided the foundation for the DOR’s achievements in epidemiological research and for Kaiser Permanente’s early adoption of the electronic health record.
As our member population and clinical data have grown, the ability of DOR investigators to address complex clinical questions has become increasingly sophisticated.
Today, DOR investigators partner with physicians and leaders of The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) to address questions of importance to TPMG and our patients.
We also collaborate with our research colleagues in other Kaiser Permanente regions and with other members of the HMO Research Network on studies requiring larger clinical populations or studies of variations in approaches to care across regions. Our aim in these studies is to help define the best ways to preserve health and manage illness in our members by understanding the effects of genetics, the environment, behaviors and medical therapies, and interactions between these factors.
When I came to the DOR in 1984, I was enamored with the idea that taking care of a large population of patients requires an understanding of who they are and how they are faring over time. Now, 27 years later, we have the technological infrastructure and collaborative partnerships inside and outside Kaiser Permanente that enable us to conduct the research and quality improvement work that make this a reality.
Over the last decade, we’ve stretched in new directions. Capitalizing on the mapping of the human genome and technology tools that continue to grow in power and scope, we’ve established the Research Program on Genes, Environment, and Health. This unprecedented database and biorepository capacity will place our investigators at the forefront of unraveling the interplay of genetics and the environment in determining health and disease.
We are increasingly leveraging Kaiser Permanente’s potential for conducting strategically important clinical trials. With the support of the DOR’s Comprehensive Clinical Research Unit, DOR scientists partner with TPMG clinical and operational leaders to conduct clinical trials that evaluate new therapies and new system-level approaches to providing care.
With national health care reform a reality, we are ideally positioned to study the design and administration of health care benefits, management of patient populations with chronic illnesses, motivation of patients for self-care and the health care needs of the newly insured.
During my 13 years as director, I’ve been proud to see DOR scientists and staff members recognize and embrace the special opportunities we enjoy to partner with our parent organization and with our members in creative and unique research endeavors.
It’s with that spirit of scientific pursuit in mind that I am announcing my final year as director of the DOR. In 2012, I will re-join the ranks of my colleagues as a scientist, to continue engaging in research that helps answer the important question: How well do specific interventions or treatments work for our patients and others in everyday practice?
I have complete confidence that the DOR will continue to use its unique assets and abilities to advance the research that matters most for patients.