AHRQ Announces Funding To Help Coordinate Research Efforts

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on Nov. 15 announced funding for 22 Partnerships for Quality projects designed to coordinate efforts among researchers, health professionals and medical facilities to test the best methods to incorporate findings from quality of care research into practice. The Partnerships for Quality projects will include tests of financial incentives to accelerate the use of recommended hospital patient safety practices and a team-oriented, practice-based continuing medical education program to improve care for patients with type II diabetes. The projects also will build partnerships to enhance cooperation in implementing quality improvement strategies in long-term care facilities and will incorporate validated quality measures into the recertification of family physicians. Over 88,000 medical providers; 5,800 hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities; and 180 health plans will be involved in the projects, which will receive a total of $2.4 million in funding in 2003. AHRQ acting Director Dr. Carolyn Clancy said, "These partnerships are an important new approach to improve the quality and safety of health care. The initiative leverages the commitment and capacity of private-sector change agents to push research into practice" (AHRQ release, 11/15).