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Article Excerpt
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Because there are so few methods to funnel new intelligence into the healthcare system, valuable discoveries have the risk of going unnoticed and unused. And providers could inadvertently miss opportunities to provide better care. Whether a protocol to stop the spread of infections or genetic evidence that predicts disease, an advance is only effective if it's translated into practice.
In order to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is tasked with a mission to gather research and disseminate valuable findings to those who can translate information into practice. In essence, AHRQ must pour an endless stream of intelligence into the right places, one bucket at a time.
As one of the 12 agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), AHRQ supports hundreds of millions of dollars worth of research spread across all aspects of the nation's healthcare system, from evidence-based medicine to health IT, to patient safety. Carolyn Clancy, MD, an internist who also has decades of experience in fact finding and analysis, directs the agency.
"Developing better information won't lead us to high-value healthcare unless we've got a clear plan for how we do that," Dr. Clancy says. "Trying to figure out how we embed it or hardwire it into how healthcare is delivered every day--that's the big challenge. But it's one I think the agency is uniquely positioned to take on."
Comparing Effectiveness
Dr. Clancy can cite examples in which research made its way into everyday practice, but she also notes that the industry lacks decisive knowledge in many areas. In cases where several treatment options are available, the value of one over another...
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