“When I look ahead to 2019, I have no doubt that AHRQ will continue to identify and tackle some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare. We’re poised to contribute even more to helping the Nation’s healthcare systems and providers improve patients’ lives and the quality, safety, and value of healthcare services they receive.”
“But as we look forward, I believe it’s also important to reflect on the remarkable achievements of 2018. Once again, the Agency has devoted significant energy to support priorities outlined by HHS Secretary Alex M. Azar. Our work has cut an impressive path toward better health care quality and value through its support of research, practice improvement, and greater use of data and analytics. Allow me to share some highlights:”
“Battling the Opioids Crisis
AHRQ’s efforts to stem the epidemic were underscored when we highlighted funding available for new research to improve pain management, prevent opioid abuse and overdoses, and support better opioid abuse treatment and recovery. Those efforts align with the Agency’s ongoing $12 million investments in grants to help provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to an estimated 20,000 people struggling with addiction in rural areas…”
“Leveraging the Power of Data
In August, AHRQ launched the AHRQ Step Up App Challenge, a three-phase competition to address the need for greater use of standardized patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data. More than 50 competitors are vying to develop a user-friendly app that can improve the collection of PRO data and, as a result, amplify patients’ voices so that clinicians have a fuller view of patient needs…” Read the full post here.
Source: AHRQ in 2018: Laying Essential Groundwork for Improved Healthcare Quality, Better Value – By Gopal Khanna, February 5, 2019. AHRQ.
