1. Regulatory Body: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Telana Fairchild, MSN, FNP-BC
UMass- Worcester
GSN
Today I would like discuss a regulatory body known as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ is 1 of 12 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

2. To improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare for all Americans.
Patient-Centered Health Research
Prevention/Care Management Research
Value Research
Health Information Technology
Patient Safety
Crosscutting Activities
The mission of the AHRQ is to produce evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable, and to work within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and with other partners to make sure that the evidence is understood and used.
To fulfill this mission, the agency conducts health care services research which examines how people get access to health care, how much care costs, and what happens as a result of the care they receive. The principal goals of health services research are to identify the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and deliver high-quality care; reduce medical errors; and improve patient safety.
AHRQ pursues its mission through six research portfolios:
Patient-Centered Health Research: improves health care quality by providing patients and physicians with state-of-the-science information on which medical treatments work best for a given condition.
Prevention/Care Management Research: focuses on improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of the delivery of evidence-based preventive services and chronic care management in ambulatory care settings.
Value Research: focuses on finding a way to achieve greater value in health care—reducing unnecessary costs and waste while maintaining or improving quality.
Health Information Technology: develops and disseminates evidence and evidence-based tools to inform policy and practice on how health IT can improve the quality of American health care.
Patient Safety: identifies risks and hazards that lead to medical errors and finding ways to prevent patient injury associated with delivery of health care.
Crosscutting Activities Related to Quality, Effectiveness, and Efficiency: includes investigator-initiated and targeted research grants and contracts that focus on health services research in the areas of quality, effectiveness, and efficiency. Crosscutting Activities also includes additional research activities that support all of our research portfolios including data collection, measurement, dissemination and translation, and program evaluation.
In addition to AHRQ's six research portfolios, the Agency supports the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which is the only national source for annual data on how Americans use and pay for medical care. MEPS supports all of AHRQ's research related strategic goal areas.
AHRQ
9/18/2018

3. To provide healthcare services of the highest quality, with the best possible outcomes, at the lowest cost. OD
OEREP
Women’s Health
Minority Health
OCKT
OMS
CDOM
CFACT
CEPI
NCEPCR
CQulPS
AHRQ’s vision is to provide high quality healthcare with the best outcomes at the lowest cost. To obtain this mission and vision they are re-arranged their organizational structure as shown here with clear details for each subgroup.
Office of Directors (OD): Overall leadership for achievement of the objectives of AHRQ. Including the activities of AHRQ, governmental influence, finances, and dissemination of information.
Office of Extramural Research, Education and Priority Populations (OEREP): Directs the scientific review process for grants and contracts, manages Agency research training programs, evaluates the scientific contribution of proposed and ongoing research and demonstrations; and supports and conducts health services research on priority populations.
Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer (OCKT): Designs, develops, implements, and manages programs for disseminating the results of Agency activities with the goal of changing audience behavior. Promotes the communication of information to both internal and external customers. Specifically, manages the publishing and information dissemination processes of the Agency, maintains the AHRQ Web site, and directs a knowledge transfer program.
Office of Management Services (OMS): Directs and coordinates the Agency's administrative services and operational activities, including contracts, financial management, grants, and human capital management. Specifically, OMS provides leadership, oversight, and executive support for human capital management; contracts, grants, and financial management; and administrative services including safety, security, property, space, and facilities management, as well as non-information technology acquisitions.
OMS was formerly the Office of Performance Accountability, Resources, and Technology (OPART).
Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets (CDOM): Provides a locus of leadership and expertise for advances in health care delivery, organization, and markets through research. The researchers identify emerging research needs, manage a portfolio of research grants and contracts, conduct and publish peer-reviewed research, and develop databases and software tools that can be used with those databases. The ultimate goal of the Center's work is to help improve the quality and efficiency of health care by providing evidence to decision-makers on organization, payment, delivery, and markets.
Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends (CFACT): Conducts, supports, and manages studies of the cost and financing of health care, the access to health care services and related trends. CFACT also develops data sets to support policy and behavioral research and analyses.
It strives to provide health care leaders and policymakers with the information and tools they need to improve decisions on health care financing, access, coverage and cost.
Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement (CEPI): Generates new knowledge, synthesizes evidence, translates science on what works in health and health care delivery, and catalyzes practice improvement across health care settings. Specifically, conducts and supports research and evidence synthesis on health care delivery and improvement; advances decision and communication sciences; explores how health information technology can improve clinical decision making and health care quality; catalyzes and promotes sustainability of improvements in clinical practice across health care settings through research, demonstration projects, and partnership development; and operates the National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research.
CEPI consists of five divisions: Evidence-Based Practice Center Program; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Program; Division of Decision Science and Patient Engagement; Division of Health Information Technology; Division of Practice Improvement
I also personally appreciate AHRQ’s belief and drive to revitalize the Nation’s primary care system. The National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR) is the intellectual home for primary care and primary care researchers across AHRQ. As the locus for the wide array of primary care-related activities within the Agency, the Center provides opportunities for AHRQ scientists to share concepts, ideas, challenges, and emerging solutions. The NCEPCR also is AHRQ’s main point of contact with the primary care community, communicating the evidence AHRQ produces —and how this evidence can be used to improve health and primary health care—to researchers, primary care professionals, health care decision makers, and patients and families. I receive weekly s from them pertaining to the newest research and evidence based findings.
Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQulPS): Works to improve the quality and safety of our health care system through research and implementation of evidence. Conducts and supports user-driven research on patient safety and health care quality measurement, reporting, and improvement. Develops and disseminates reports and information on health care quality measurement, reporting, and improvement. Collaborates with stakeholders across the health care system to implement evidence-based practices, accelerating and amplifying improvements in quality and safety for patients. Assesses our own practices to ensure continuous learning and improvement for the Center and its members.
AHRQ
9/18/2018

4. AHRQ is successful at enhancing outcome measurements, patient safety and healthcare quality.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Developing PCOR methods
Training PCOR researchers
Disseminating PCOR findings
Safer Healthcare
Reduce HAIs
Partnership for Patients Program
TeamSTEPPS® Program
Communication and Resolution Program
Technical assistance to nursing homes
Increase Accessibility
Research
CMS
Government
Evidence
Increase insurance coverage
Improve Affordability and Efficiency
Data
Measures
Public reporting
Tools
AHRQ
9/18/2018

5. AHRQ is concerned about all aspects of healthcare and desires to disseminate their findings for all.
Research
Systematic Reviews & Multiple Interventions
Framework
Comparative Analysis Research
Data
HCUP’s National and State Database
United States Health Information Knowledgebase
National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports
Safety
Education and Training
Tools and Resources
Dissemination
HCUP's National (Nationwide) databases can be used to identify, track, and analyze national trends in health care utilization, access, charges, quality, and outcomes. HCUP's State-specific databases can be used to investigate State-specific and multi-State trends in health care utilization, access, charges, quality, and outcomes.
The United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK) is an on-line, publicly accessible registry and repository of healthcare-related metadata, specifications, and standards.
AHRQ
9/18/2018

6. What questions or concerns do you have about AHRQ?
AHRQ
9/18/2018

7. References
AHRQ Annual Highlights, July Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. AHRQ Profile. May Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. Dufendach, K. R., Eichenberger, J. A., McPheeters, M. L., Temple, M. W., Bhatia, H. L., Alrifai, M. W., Lehmann, C. U. (2015). doi:NBK [bookaccession] Guise, J. M., Chang, C., Viswanathan, M., Glick, S., Treadwell, J., Umscheid, C. A., Trikalinos, T. (2014). doi:NBK [bookaccession] John M. Eisenberg Center for Clinical Decisions and Communications Science. (2007). Comparative effectiveness of therapies for children with autism spectrum disorder. Comparative effectiveness review summary guides for clinicians (). Rockville (MD): doi:NBK [bookaccession] Mission & Budget. May Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
AHRQ
9/18/2018