Request for Information: AHRQ's Proposed Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund Strategic Framework
| Published date | 18 February 2022 |
| Citation | 87 FR 9360 |
| Record Number | 2022-03551 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Agency For Healthcare Research And Quality |
Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 34 (Friday, February 18, 2022)
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 34 (Friday, February 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9360-9362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03551]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Request for Information: AHRQ's Proposed Patient-Centered
Outcomes Research Trust Fund Strategic Framework
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.
ACTION: Notice of request for information.
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SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is
seeking input from the public on its proposed strategic framework for
AHRQ's Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund investments.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 19, 2022. AHRQ
will not respond individually to responders but will consider all
comments submitted by the deadline.
ADDRESSES: Please submit all responses via email to:
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karin Rhodes, MD, Chief Implementation
Officer, Email: [email protected], Telephone: 301-427-1364 or 240-
463-0872.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AHRQ is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 299b-37
to broadly disseminate patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR)
findings, including incorporation of PCOR findings into health
information technology focused on clinical decision support, and to
train researchers in the methods used to conduct PCOR. PCOR compares
the impact of two or more preventive, diagnostic, treatment, or
healthcare delivery approaches on health outcomes, including those that
are meaningful to patients. AHRQ's work under 42 U.S.C. 299b-37 is
funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (PCORTF),
26 U.S.C. 9511, which was established in 2010 and reauthorized in 2019.
To learn more about the PCORTF, please visit: https://www.ahrq.gov/pcor/potential-of-the-pcortf/index.html.
In response to the reauthorization of the PCORTF, AHRQ has
developed a proposed strategic framework to guide future planning and
evaluation of AHRQ's PCORTF investments (the strategic framework). The
strategic framework is consistent with AHRQ's broader goal of improving
the quality, safety, equity, and value of healthcare delivery.
The proposed strategic framework identifies five priorities for
improving healthcare delivery that are aligned with AHRQ's mission and
that have the potential to improve outcomes that patients care about.
These priorities are interrelated, and all contribute to achieving the
proposed strategic framework's overall vision of equitable whole-person
care across the lifespan. The proposed strategic framework is
consistent with AHRQ's Congressional authorization for investments from
the PCORTF and is aligned with national health priorities.
The AHRQ PCORTF strategic framework includes a mission, vision,
high-level priorities, desired outcomes, and cross-cutting strategies
for advancing the desired outcomes. This framework is expected to
describe and inform the portfolio of AHRQ PCORTF investments. AHRQ will
use this broad framework to guide long-range planning and to guide the
development of projects and investments.
AHRQ PCORTF-funded projects will be connected to components and
sub-components of the strategic framework. Use of the strategic
framework is intended to ensure that AHRQ's investments are coherently
connected and advance the overall vision of advancing equitable whole-
person care across the lifespan. The final strategic framework will
also provide a basis for creating an evaluation framework, measuring
the success of individual projects, and identifying the overall impact
of AHRQ's PCORTF investments.
AHRQ is seeking public comment on the proposed strategic framework
for AHRQ's PCORTF investments.
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AHRQ hopes to receive feedback from patients, healthcare
professionals, community groups, employers, health services
researchers, dissemination and implementation scientists,
communications experts, representatives from health systems, public and
private payers, and other stakeholders.
The input received from this public comment period will be used in
refining and finalizing the strategic framework. Based on the final
strategic framework, AHRQ intends to develop an operational plan, which
will include specific short- and long-term objectives and a formative
and summative evaluation. The overall goal of AHRQ's planning process
is to identify investments consistent with its PCORTF authorization
that will have the greatest positive impact on health and healthcare.
AHRQ is requesting information from the public regarding the
following broad questions:
1. AHRQ would like overall reactions to the strategic framework; is
there any aspect of the framework that:
a. Does not promote the vision of advancing equitable whole-person
care across the lifespan?
b. Does not address major challenges faced by the U.S. healthcare
system?
c. Could be improved (and if so, how)?
2. AHRQ would like input on our (non-ranked) high-level priority
areas:
a. Do our proposed high-level priorities miss any areas of critical
importance?
b. Are any of the high-level priorities more important than others?
3. AHRQ would like input on how to target investments within high-
priority areas. For example, should AHRQ focus on:
a. Specific ages/stages or apply AHRQ's investments equally across
the lifespan?
b. Transitions in care?
4. AHRQ would also appreciate suggestions for applying the
strategic framework. For example:
a. How can AHRQ improve the dissemination of patient-centered
outcomes research evidence to decision-makers at the local, State, and
Federal levels?
b. What targeted investments could AHRQ make to sustain progress
towards the strategic framework's desired outcomes?
c. What AHRQ PCORTF investments could help improve healthcare
provider trust, well-being, and retention?
5. How can AHRQ have the greatest impact and success at achieving
the vision and mission of the strategic framework?
a. What is the most effective way to ensure the sustainability of
initiatives that seek to enhance the integration of patient-centered
outcomes research findings into practice?
b. What complementary partnerships and collaborations (both public
and private) would increase the impact of AHRQ's PCORTF investments?
c. What will be the best way of measuring progress and the overall
impact of AHRQ's PCORTF investments?
6. Is there anything else you would like to share regarding the
strategic framework?
AHRQ is interested in all of the questions listed above, but
respondents are welcome to address as many or as few as they choose and
to address additional areas of interest not listed. It is helpful to
identify which question a particular answer is a response to.
[[Page 9362]]
This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed
as a policy, solicitation for applications, or as an obligation on the
part of the Government to provide support for any ideas identified in
response to it. AHRQ will use the information submitted in response to
this RFI at its discretion and will not provide comments to any
responder's submission. However, responses to the RFI may be reflected
in future solicitation(s) or policies. The information provided will be
analyzed and may appear in reports. Respondents will not be identified
in any published reports. Respondents are advised that the Government
is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information
received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any
information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or
sensitive information should be included in your response. The contents
of all submissions will be made available to the public upon request.
Materials submitted must be publicly available or able to be made
public.
Dated: February 15, 2022.
Marquita Cullom,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-03551 Filed 2-17-22; 8:45 am]
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