Department of family medicine
Research
An internationally-recognized research organization focused on increasing the quality, effectiveness, accessibility and sustainability of primary care. We conduct research and develop methods to answer vital healthcare questions in collaboration with colleagues in diverse disciplines and settings. We disseminate results to health practitioners and policymakers locally, nationally and internationally, aiming to inform practice and policy.
Research Team Research Seminars Publications Contactresearch areas
Health Workforce Studies
The health workforce is the backbone of any health care delivery system. Our research group houses three federally funded centers conducting quality research necessary to develop a strong and quality health workforce in the US.
Rural Health Research
Rural U.S. residents overall are poorer, have a higher burden of disease, are more likely to live in Health Professional Shortage Areas, and travel farther to access health care than their urban counterparts. Our research aims to inform local, regional, and national policy and practice to improve the health of vulnerable and minority rural populations.
WWAMI region Practice and Research Network (WPRN)
The WPRN is a network of more than 97 primary care practices across the five-state WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region that collaborate on research. The mission of the WPRN is to improve the health and well-being of patients in their communities, through the conduct of collaborative research that informs and enhances primary care clinical practice.
Cancer Prevention and Detection
Our research aims to improve cancer health outcomes through implementation of evidence-based cancer intervention in primary care practices.
Integrated Behavioral Health
Our research aims to address discovery and dissemination of evidence informed mental and behavioral health treatments in primary care to address mental and physical health conditions.
Primary Care Innovation Lab
The PCI Lab researches the design, development, testing and implementation of new technologies and innovations in primary care.
Treatment and Prevention of Substance Use Disorders
Primary care practice is a critical setting for substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, yet significant numbers of patients with SUDs go unrecognized. Opioid use and opioid use disorder are of particular relevance to primary care, as primary care providers, who are on the front lines of pain management, write half of all opioid prescriptions each year, and some of the individuals for whom they write prescriptions develop opioid use disorder. Our research tackles these important problems by addressing optimal management of chronic pain, opioid prescribing, and opioid use disorder in primary care practice.
Clinical Research Informatics
Clinical Research Informatics is a subdiscipline within biomedical informatics (an interdisciplinary field that studies use of biomedical data, information and knowledge to improve human health) focused on development of informatic theories, tools and solutions to accelerate translational science. Our research aims to target improvements in primary care to improve patient health through the use of informatics tools and solutions.
Reproductive and Women’s Health
Family Medicine researchers work within the Division of Family Planning in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Our mission is to investigate critical clinical questions and conduct innovative research to advance the field of family planning…