By Jeff Brady MD, MPH – The chances that you will receive safer care when you enter the hospital are increasing, according to a new report from AHRQ. Between 2010 and 2014, we estimate that 87,000 fewer patients died from hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), such as adverse drug events, pressure ulcers, and potentially dangerous infections.
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By William A. Hyman – A recent press release and report from AHRQ asserts that 87,000 lives and nearly $20 billion in costs have been saved as a result of safety improvements. This reduction in hospital-aquired conditions (HAC) is said to be “thanks in part to provisions of the Affordable Care Act”, and Medicare incentives.
By Claudia Steiner MD, MPH – If you hear health services researchers talking about a “nerd,” you shouldn’t necessarily assume they’re talking about themselves. For now, they’re probably referring to a new database. The database in question—the Nationwide Readmissions Database or NRD (hence the nickname, “nerd”)—is the newest addition to AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.
By Richard Kronick PhD – The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ, an agency within HHS, is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of America’s health care system.
By Richard Kronick PhD – A few weeks ago, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine or IOM) released a long-awaited report on a subject of great importance to the AHRQ—how all health care stakeholders can more quickly identify, resolve, and reduce the incidence of diagnostic errors and improve patient safety.
By Richard Kronick PhD – I am pleased to announce that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has raised its budget cap on large investigator-initiated research grants. R01 health services research and R18 demonstration and dissemination grants are now eligible for up to $400,000 per year total cost for up to five years.
By Richard Kronick PhD – In our quest to improve health care, a consensus is emerging about the need to measure quality and to pay more for value and less for volume. Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced HHS intent to link 85% of Medicare payments to quality or value by 2016 and 90% by 2018.
HHS and its agencies including CMS, ONC, and AHRQ are reporting these news items, events, updates and deadlines for providers and hospitals. ICD-10 compliance date is October 1, 2015.
The AHRQ Research Conference is an important opportunity to share the results and impact of AHRQ-sponsored research, data and tools, and talk about the many ways this work is used to improve health care.