Ingrid A. Binswanger, MD, MPH, MS

Senior Clinician Investigator

Ingrid A. Binswanger, MD, MPH, MS, is a Senior Clinician Investigator at the Institute for Health Research. Her research focuses on how to reduce the medical complications of substance use, such as overdose and HIV.

Dr. Binswanger completed her medical training at the University of California, San Francisco and received her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Washington, Seattle. Her research team is working to develop innovative and patient-centered ways to prevent adverse events from opioid use. She also conducts research to reduce the morbidity and mortality of people who have criminal legal involvement.

Dr. Binswanger is a practicing physician in Chemical Dependency Treatment Services with the Colorado Permanente Medical Group at Kaiser Permanente Colorado. She is also an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine where she is Director of Substance Use and Harm Reduction Research Development and an Affiliate Member of the Division of Addiction Science. She is an Adjunct Professor of Health Systems Science at the Bernard J. Tyson Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine. Dr. Binswanger is a Senior Editor of the journal Addiction and Associate Editor of SAj.

Selected Research:

  • Healthcare Organizational Structural Conditions and the Health of People Recently Released from Prison

    • The goal of this proposal is to examine structural conditions that can impact access to care for people recently released from prison. 

    • Funder: NIH/NHLBI
    • Award End Date: 06/30/2027

  • Integrating Addiction Research in Health Systems: The Addiction Research Network

    • This project brings together 16 Health Care Systems Research Network member health systems to conduct research focused on all aspects of addiction.

    • Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse
    • Award End Date: 02/28/2025

  • Health Insurance Instability and Mortality Among Patients Receiving Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Linkage of the Prescription Opioid Registry With the National Death Index

    • The purpose of this study is to examine the association of insurance instability (i.e., duration and frequency of disenrollment and transitions in plan types) and mortality risk among patients receiving buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder.

    • Funder: NIH/NIDA
    • Award End Date: 03/01/2024

  • Assessing the Safety and Effectiveness of Opioid Tapering in Large Health Systems

    • The major goal of this project is to conduct a longitudinal cohort study to determine the effectiveness and safety of opioid tapering in three large health systems in two states.

    • Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse
    • Award End Date: 12/31/2023

  • IMPROVE Medication Safety Clinic

    • The major goal of this project is to evaluate the implementation of the Medication Safety Clinic (MSC) at Kaiser Permanente Colorado. The MHC is designed to further support the organization in the complex care of patients on chronic opioid therapy.

    • Funder: Kaiser Permanente Colorado IMPROVE program
    • Study End Date: 12/31/2022