RWE Research Studies to Improve Care of Breast Cancer Survivors in a Large Integrated Healthcare Delivery System in Southern California
Author(s)
REINA HAQUE, PhD.
Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this conceptual presentation is to present RWE studies conducted in large healthcare system to improve breast cancer care. Kaiser Permanente Southern (KPSC) is a not-for-profit integrated healthcare delivery system and one of the largest health plans in the US with 16 community hospitals, 200 clinics, and a network of 8,000 physicians providing care to 4.9 million patients. Given KPSC’s comprehensive electronic health records (EHRs), this organization is an ideal setting for conducting studies based on real world data that supports the practice of evidence-based medicine.
METHODS: Through computerized mainframes, KPSC researchers have access to a vast array of EHRs on outpatient visits and hospitalizations, diagnoses, cancer registry, pharmacy dispensings, laboratory and imaging tests. This aspect makes this organization an excellent place to conduct RWE-based studies. Cancer patients receive virtually all of their medical care within KPSC. The patient population is stable and disenrollment is very low even among patients with cancer; for example, 4 out of 5 breast cancer survivors remain enrolled more than 20 years after their initial breast cancer diagnosis.
RESULTS: Nearly 1 in 16 residents in Southern California is a KP patient. Among cancer survivors living in this region, 1 in 7 is a KPSC patient. Unlike academic medical centers that often serve less diverse populations, the KPSC membership is diverse and reflects the sociodemographic characteristics of the general California population. The patient population is very diverse. The race/ethnicity distribution is: 34% White non-Hispanic, 37% Hispanic, 10% Asian/Pacific Islander, 11% African American, and 8% of other/mixed ethnic groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The presentation will provide examples of studies that have leveraged KPSC’s large membership and extensive EHRs to generate results that have helped improve breast cancer care. These studies span comparative effectiveness of pharmacologic treatments, health services research, and observational epidemiologic studies that identified risk factors or risk prediction.
METHODS: Through computerized mainframes, KPSC researchers have access to a vast array of EHRs on outpatient visits and hospitalizations, diagnoses, cancer registry, pharmacy dispensings, laboratory and imaging tests. This aspect makes this organization an excellent place to conduct RWE-based studies. Cancer patients receive virtually all of their medical care within KPSC. The patient population is stable and disenrollment is very low even among patients with cancer; for example, 4 out of 5 breast cancer survivors remain enrolled more than 20 years after their initial breast cancer diagnosis.
RESULTS: Nearly 1 in 16 residents in Southern California is a KP patient. Among cancer survivors living in this region, 1 in 7 is a KPSC patient. Unlike academic medical centers that often serve less diverse populations, the KPSC membership is diverse and reflects the sociodemographic characteristics of the general California population. The patient population is very diverse. The race/ethnicity distribution is: 34% White non-Hispanic, 37% Hispanic, 10% Asian/Pacific Islander, 11% African American, and 8% of other/mixed ethnic groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The presentation will provide examples of studies that have leveraged KPSC’s large membership and extensive EHRs to generate results that have helped improve breast cancer care. These studies span comparative effectiveness of pharmacologic treatments, health services research, and observational epidemiologic studies that identified risk factors or risk prediction.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-09, ISPOR Real-World Evidence Summit 2025, Tokyo, Japan
Value in Health Regional, Volume 49S (September 2025)
Code
RWD278
Topic Subcategory
Health & Insurance Records Systems
Disease
SDC: Oncology