Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (formerly known as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research), is a part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services which supports research designed to improve the outcomes and quality of health care, reduce its costs, address patient safety and medical errors, and broaden access to effective services. It sponsors, conducts, and disseminates research to helps people make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services.
AHRQ's mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare for Americans. The Agency is led by director Carolyn Clancy, M.D.
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Quality indicators
The agency defines Quality Indicators (QIs) [1] to measure health care quality based upon readily available hospital inpatient administrative data. These indicators consist of four modules measuring various aspects of quality:
- Prevention quality indicator (PQI) identify hospital admissions that evidence suggests could have been avoided, at least in part, through high-quality outpatient care.
- In-patient quality indicator (IQI) reflect quality of care inside hospitals including inpatient mortality for medical conditions and surgical procedures.
- Patient safety indicators (PSI) also reflect quality of care inside hospitals, but focus on potentially avoidable complications and iatrogenic events.
- Pediatric quality indicator include the above indicators related to the pediatric population.
In 2004, AHRQ expanded its support of health information technology initiatives by creating a National Resource Center for Health Information Technology and awarding more than $130 million in grants and contracts for various health information technology projects. The aim of the awards and resource center is to enhance the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of health care through the use of technology.
Healthcare 411
AHRQ produces an audio newscast series to help keep people informed of the agency's latest health care research findings, news, and information. The audio programs feature current news and information from the Agency. AHRQ's mission is to improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. They are the lead federal government agency in the effort to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors.
References
- ↑ [http://QualityIndicators.AHRQ.gov AHRQ Qaulity indicator website]
See also
- Anesthesia
- Medicine
- Perioperative mortality
- Surgery
- Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP)
- Patient safety
External Links
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Web site
- Agency For Healthcare Research And Quality Meeting Notices and Rule Changes from The Federal Register RSS Feed
- AHRQ's National Resource Center for Health IT
- HEALTHCARE 411, AHRQ's weekly Healthcare Podcast series
- Un-Official AHRQ Quality Indicators user forum
- Effective Health Care program - Information about therapies
Agencies under the United States Department of Health and Human Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of Health and Human Services · Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services | ||
| Secretariate staff offices | Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services · Office of the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services |  |
| Organizations under the Assistant Secretary for Health | Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health · Public Health Service · Office of Public Health and Science · Administration for Children and Families · Administration on Aging · Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services · Food and Drug Administration · Health Resources and Services Administration · Indian Health Service · National Institutes of Health · Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration · Public Health Service Commissioned Corps | |
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
