HHS awards $473M for patient-centered outcomes research

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded $473 million in grants and contracts to support projects that will help people make healthcare decisions based on the best evidence of effectiveness. The funding announced today covers all of AHRQ’s allocation and $173 million administered for the HHS Secretary by AHRQ.

The projects will support patient-centered outcomes research, also known as comparative-effectiveness research, and other efforts in areas including healthcare interventions in real-world settings, advanced use of the research findings by diverse populations, development of effective patient registries, as well as training and career development for the next generation of researchers.

The awards are part of the investments made under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, which included $1.1 billion to support patient-centered outcomes research. Of that total, $300 million was designated to AHRQ and $400 million was designated to be allocated at the discretion of the HHS Secretary for a variety of patient-centered outcomes research and related activities. An additional $400 million was directed to the National Institutes of Health.

Patient-centered outcomes research is designed to inform healthcare decisions by providing evidence and information on the effectiveness, benefits and harms of different treatment options. The evidence is generated from research studies that compare drugs, medical devices, tests, surgeries or ways to deliver healthcare in real-world settings.

The funded grants and contracts fall into several categories. Awards funded by the Office of the Secretary include these categories: data infrastructure; dissemination, translation and implementation; research; and inventory and evaluation. AHRQ allocation awards are categorized under: horizon scanning; evidence synthesis; evidence gap identification; translation and dissemination; evidence generation; training and career development; and the community forum.

For a complete list of awards by category, click here.

Around the web

The new technology shows early potential to make a significant impact on imaging workflows and patient care. 

Richard Heller III, MD, RSNA board member and senior VP of policy at Radiology Partners, offers an overview of policies in Congress that are directly impacting imaging.
 

The two companies aim to improve patient access to high-quality MRI scans by combining their artificial intelligence capabilities.