Child & Adolescent Health
“Kids have so much potential. How can we optimize their health?”
Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPH
Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation
Executive Director of Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute Senior Investigator
Research overview
Babies, children, and teens have specific health needs. Research and evaluation at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) covers family health from pregnancy through childhood and early adulthood.
KPWHRI research and evaluation topics in child and adolescent health include:
- drug safety during pregnancy
- pediatric care quality in health systems
- quality of care for respiratory illnesses
- care and transitions for hospitalized children
- implementation of screening for adverse childhood experiences
- quality of youth mental health care
- programs to support trauma and resilience-informed care for youth
- impact of social determinants of health
- disease prevention through vaccines
“We’re working with families, helping them make healthy eating, exercise, and preventive care part of their busy daily lives,” says Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, Washington Permanente Medical Group associate medical director for research and translation, KPWHRI senior investigator, and Washington Permanente Medical Group pediatrician.
Recent publications on Child & Adolescent Health
Breland DJ, McCarty CA, Zhou C, McCauley E, Rockhill C, Katon W, Richardson LP. Determinants of mental health service use among depressed adolescents. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2014 May-Jun;36(3):296-301. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2013.12.003. Epub 2013 Dec 10. PubMed
Charbonneau DR, Cheadle A, Orbe C, Frey M, Gaolach B. FEEST on this: youth engagement for community change in the King County Food and Fitness Initiative. Comm Dev. 2014;45(3):240-51. Epub 2014 April 14.
Bardach NS, Coker TR, Zima BT, Murphy JM, Knapp P, Richardson LP, Edwall G, Mangione-Smith R. Common and costly hospitalizations for pediatric mental health disorders. Pediatrics. 2014;133(4):602-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-3165. Epub 2014 Mar 17. PubMed
Perla ME, Rue T, Cheadle A, Krieger J, Karr CK. Population-based comparison of biomarker concentrations for chemicals of concern among Latino-American and non-Hispanic white children. J Immigr Minor Health. 2015 Jun;17(3):802-19. doi: 10.1007/s10903-014-0002-2. Epub 2014 Mar 26. PubMed
Harris M, Penfold RB, Hawkins A, Maccombs J, Wallace B, Reynolds B. Dimensions of impulsive behavior and treatment outcomes for adolescent smokers. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014 Feb;22(1):57-64. doi: 10.1037/a0034403. Epub 2014 Jan 13. PubMed
Researchers in Child & Adolescent Health
 Paula Lozano, MD, MPHSenior Investigator; Director, ACT Center |
 Lisa A. Jackson, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPHExecutive Director and Senior Investigator, KPWHRI; Vice President for Research and Health Care Innovation, Kaiser Permanente Washington |
 Robert Penfold, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Rosemary Meza, PhD, MSCollaborative Scientist |
 Annie Hoopes, MD, MPHActing Assistant Investigator |
adjunct and Affiliate researchers
John Dunn, MD, MPH
Pediatrician
Washington Permanente Medical Group
Medical Director of Preventive Care
Kaiser Permanente Washington
Gina Sucato, MD, MPH
Director of Adolescent Health Services
Washington Permanente Medical Group
Doug Opel, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Washington
Laura P. Richardson, MD, MPH
Adolescent Medicine
Seattle Children's Hospital
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Washington
Research
Some adolescents are more likely to use patient portal than others
A new study aims to understand trends in digital care communication among teens.
Research
How did the pandemic impact hospital visits with animals?
Top pediatric oncology hospitals reported lasting changes to programs involving visits with animals.
New findings
Patient-centered perspectives on teen mental health
Annie Hoopes, MD, MPH, shares insights from an ACT Center study on integrating adolescent mental health in primary care.
Pediatric research
Improving child health and care with quality measures
KPWHRI Executive Director Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPH, talks about her research to advance pediatric care
IMPACT Center
Improving mental health care for youth
A new center will support using evidence-based practices in under-resourced settings such as schools.
Behind the scenes
Meeting participants' needs: Our research interventionists
Deborah King and Jessie Waiamau-Ariota describe their pivotal role in research on youth mental health — and more.
news
Screening for adverse childhood experiences
KPWHRI’s Center for Community Health and Evaluation offers 5 recommendations to improve ACEs screens.
KPWHRI In the Media
When does your child need antibiotics?
How do I know if my kid needs antibiotics?
New York Times, Apr 17, 2020
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