AHRQ requests proposals to create a healthcare IT resource center

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released a request for proposals to establish a healthcare IT resource center.

The agency says the resource center will support groups that receive grants later this year. The grants will be for projects demonstrating improved patient safety and quality of care with healthcare IT.

The center will coordinate data interoperability projects in five states and regions and support electronic health records programs among the Indian Health Service and federal health agencies, such as Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Health Resources and Services Administration. It will also recommend clinical decision-making processes and systems and promote the development of local health information infrastructures

AHRQ says the entire contract is valued at $18.6 million. Proposals are due July 29th, with contract awards scheduled to be made by Sept. 30th.

The agency says it may include tasks and funding next year to support HHS efforts to accelerate diffusion of healthcare IT, and create community and local health information infrastructures as part of its plan for a national health information infrastructure to enable patient information transfer among multiple providers.

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