HealthPartners Institute

Main navigation

Home / Research / Research strengths / Primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics

Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics

Research in primary care, internal medicine and pediatrics helps prevent disease and keep patients well

We believe there is great opportunity to prevent disease and improve health and well-being for patients and families through research in primary care environments. Patients checking in for preventive visits, well-child exams and routine checkups can benefit from research efforts to improve health, experience and the cost of care. Our research teams are studying the health of moms and children, vaccine safety and effectiveness, hypertension, obesity prevention, improving the health of the elderly and much more.

Investigators

Key projects

Can vitamin D reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

We are investigating if a vitamin D supplement helps prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. The study involves adults who have prediabetes and are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Through this multicenter study funded by the National Institutes of Health, we will help evaluate vitamin D’s impact. Evidence is important, as the supplement’s use as a preventive measure has risen in recent years.

Improving heart health in America

We served as the dissemination and engagement lead for the national evaluation of the EvidenceNOW initiative. This project helped 1,800 small- and medium-sized primary care clinics in the United States use the latest evidence to improve the heart health of millions of Americans.

Not a one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss

The BestFit study seeks to find the right approach for the right person at the right time by taking an individual’s factors into account. Funded by a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, BestFit is the first of its kind to test whether different treatment programs  for weight loss are more effective for different types of people.

Early Environmental Stressors and Emerging Cardiometabolic Risk

This study examines the ways that environmental stressors in early childhood affect later cardiometabolic risk. We are looking to identify protective factors (skills, resources, coping strategies) associated with improved health outcomes. This project is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. It is being conducted in partnership with the University of Minnesota.

Aspiring in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE)

We are testing whether low-dose aspirin will prolong the healthy lifespan in people aged 70 or older. This primary prevention clinical trial assesses the impact of a daily treatment of aspirin in prevention of heart attack, stroke, cognitive decline, physical decline and some cancers. We are also evaluating the risks of serious bleeding. This international multicenter study was conducted in general practice in Australia and clinical trial centers and primary care clinics in the United States. Results will be published in 2018.

Medicare Wellness Visits: Understanding Patient and Physician Perspective

This study found that Medicare patients weren’t taking advantage of their Annual Wellness Visit benefit because they were confused. Patients didn’t understand which services they could expect at the visit, particularly regarding acute or chronic medical problems. Physicians struggled with how to manage patient expectations for acute concerns or chronic medical problems during the visits. Most physicians interviewed were going far beyond the Medicare criteria for the visit by including acute problems and chronic disease management.