The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS, has submitted a proposal to OMB for NORC to evaluate AHRQ's Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Initiative and invites public comment by July 27.
Proposed Project: “Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Clinical Decision Support: Current State and Future Directions”
Research has shown that health care quality in the U.S. varies significantly and only half of adults receive evidence-based, recommended care. Individuals with multiple chronic conditions (42% of adults) and older adults are at particular risk for negative health outcomes. Current evidence shows that clinical decision support (CDS) systems improve adherence to evidence-based practices by analyzing patient data and making appropriate information available to the physician at the time they need it. CDS systems are usually electronic health record (EHR)-based, encompassing tools like alerts, clinical guidelines, patient reports and dashboards, diagnostic support, and workflow tools. These tools help reduce clinical errors and allow for customization to patient needs, improving quality of care and patient outcomes.
The AHRQ Patient-Centered (PC) CDS Learning Network (PC CDS LN) defines PC CDS as: “CDS that supports individual patients and their approved care givers and/or care teams in health-related decisions and actions by leveraging information from PCOR findings and/or patient-specific information (e.g., patient-generated health data).” Through PC CDS, AHRQ seeks to accelerate the movement of patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) evidence into practice and to make CDS more shareable, standards-based, and publicly available.
Traditionally, CDS initiatives have focused on provider-directed guidelines and increasing the shareability of CDS artifacts; however, PC CDS targets both patients (and/or caregivers) and providers.
AHRQ's effort to support PC CDS has included efforts such as the PC CDS LN, CDS Connect, and other related grants and contracts. In this project, AHRQ seeks to conduct a comprehensive evaluation to assess the impact of AHRQ's PCOR CDS Initiative (the Initiative) on understanding of the current state of PC CDS and to identify gaps to guide AHRQ's future research.
The goal of this research is to assess the accomplishments and opportunities for the Initiative as a whole, and each of its four individual components: The PC CDS Learning Network, CDS Connect, Quantifying Efficiencies, and the U18 CDS Resource Grants.
The evaluation team will use key informant interviews and a web-based survey to gather information about the programs from stakeholders, contributors, and users of the CDS Initiative programs. This study is being conducted by AHRQ through its contractor, NORC at the University of Chicago.
Information collected by the study will inform strategies to promote the adoption of PCOR evidence into practice through CDS developed by AHRQ and other Department of Health and Human Services agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, as well as state and local governments and private health care organizations. Findings from the evaluation can help identify and shape strategies to promote more effective implementation of PCOR CDS in order to accelerate the movement of evidence into clinical practice and support patient-centered decision making by clinicians with their patients.
AHRQ PCOR Initiative:
https://www.ahrq.gov/pcor/index.html
AHRQ submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202006-0935-003 Click on IC List for data collection instruments, View Supporting Statement for narrative on purposes, uses, methods, and timeline.
FR notice summarizing project and inviting comment:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/24/2020-13574/agency-information-collection-activities-proposed-collection-comment-request
Technical Expert Panel Members:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/DownloadDocument?objectID=102108400 The second in-person TEP meeting is tentatively scheduled for September 2020. (AEA members might suggest that economists be included on the TEP.)
Point of contact: Doris Lefkowitz, AHRQ (301) 427-1477 doris.lefkowitz@AHRQ.hhs.gov
AEA Guide on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections:
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806