Ambulatory Safety and Quality:Ambulatory Safety and Quality:Enabling Quality Measurement through Health ITEnabling Quality Measurement through Health IT

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Technical AssistanceTechnical Assistance Conference CallConference Call

January 4, 2007January 4, 2007

Conference Call AgendaConference Call Agenda

Overview of AHRQ Ambulatory Safety and Quality Program

Overview of the FOA

Frequently asked questions

Open forum

AHRQ Ambulatory Safety AHRQ Ambulatory Safety and Quality Programand Quality Program

Purpose: To improve the safety and quality of Purpose: To improve the safety and quality of ambulatoryambulatory health care in the United States health care in the United States– Patient safety and quality crises in hospitals are only the Patient safety and quality crises in hospitals are only the

“tip of the iceberg.” “tip of the iceberg.” – AHRQ recognizes the increasing scope, volume, and AHRQ recognizes the increasing scope, volume, and

complexity of ambulatory carecomplexity of ambulatory care

The program contains an emphasis on the role of The program contains an emphasis on the role of health information technology (health IT)health information technology (health IT)– Safe, high quality ambulatory care requires complex Safe, high quality ambulatory care requires complex

information management and coordination across multiple information management and coordination across multiple settings, especially for patients with chronic illnesses.settings, especially for patients with chronic illnesses.

ASQ: Four componentsASQ: Four components

1.1. Risk Assessment in Ambulatory CareRisk Assessment in Ambulatory Care

2.2. Improving Quality through Clinician Improving Quality through Clinician Use of Health ITUse of Health IT

3.3. Enabling Patient-Centered Care Enabling Patient-Centered Care through Health ITthrough Health IT

4.4. Enabling Quality Measurement Enabling Quality Measurement through Health ITthrough Health IT

Definition of ambulatory careDefinition of ambulatory care

Ambulatory care refers to all types of health Ambulatory care refers to all types of health services provided by health care professionals services provided by health care professionals on an outpatient basison an outpatient basis– in contrast to services provided to persons who are inpatientsin contrast to services provided to persons who are inpatients– usually implies that the patient must travel to a location to receive usually implies that the patient must travel to a location to receive

services which do not require an overnight stayservices which do not require an overnight stay

Ambulatory settings include: health care clinician Ambulatory settings include: health care clinician offices (large and small practices), outpatient clinics, offices (large and small practices), outpatient clinics, community health centers, emergency departments, community health centers, emergency departments, urgent care centers, and ambulatory surgery urgent care centers, and ambulatory surgery centers. centers. – Home care entities are included Home care entities are included for the purpose of this for the purpose of this

programprogram

Specific Purpose of RFA-HS-07-002Specific Purpose of RFA-HS-07-002   

AHRQ is interested in projects that investigate novel methods or evaluate existing strategies for the development of health IT to assist clinicians, practices and systems to measure the quality and safety of care in ambulatory care settings.

Applicants are encouraged to develop new safety and quality measures, determine essential data elements for Institute of Medicine (IOM) priority areas, develop health IT systems to export measures, demonstrate the ability of health IT to provide measures, enable public reporting through health information exchange, and measure the efficiency of quality measurement.

GoalsGoals Encourage applicants to develop safety and quality measures in

ambulatory care settings, automate quality measurement, demonstrate the ability of electronic data systems (such as EHRs or claims data merged with EHR data) to expand potential safety and quality measures, and demonstrate improved ability to export measures for reporting and improvement. Projects that explore the roles of health information exchange in support of public reporting of quality measures and emerging transparency initiatives are also encouraged.

Notably, $1.8 million has been set aside for projects with a substantial focus on quality and patient safety, and that may not directly involve health IT. These projects should fulfill the objectives of improving quality measurement in ambulatory care settings and across settings of care, and may lead to health IT interventions.

Areas of InterestAreas of Interest

The process of patient safety and quality measurement Determine the data elements necessary across settings and transitions in care

to create safety and quality measures for high prevalence priority conditions. What is the relative ease of different quality measures, particularly measures which are composites of data elements? How can scalable applications for existing patient safety and quality measures be developed?

Demonstrate the value and accuracy of quality and patient safety measurement through various methods, including manual chart review, electronic health records, aggregate data sources, and/or financial claims sources. What is the impact of electronic quality measurement on care delivery and workflow? How feasible and cost-effective are the various methods, and what quality and patient safety metrics are enabled through each method?

Creating meaningful patient safety and quality information from data Evaluate the benefits and challenges of timely integration of data from multiple

sources, including financial claims data with clinical data Demonstrate the ability of interoperable electronic data systems or health

information exchanges to provide data for patient safety and quality measures for episodes of care across settings

Areas of Interest cont’d

Develop next generation electronic data systems (including electronic health records with or without other electronic data sources) that include the capacity for export of data for patient safety and quality measures

Value of safety and quality measurement Measure the efficiency of the routine measurement of ambulatory care

quality and safety through the use of electronic health information systems Demonstrate the impact of providing safety and quality feedback and public

reporting on outcomes such as provider satisfaction, provider performance, patient satisfaction, and/or patient outcomes

Delivery of timely feedback for improvement Demonstrate health information exchange as a means of supplying data for

and public reporting of patient safety and quality measures and emerging transparency initiatives

Support practice-based demonstrations of the feedback of electronic quality and patient safety measures to clinicians and practices to improve care

Project OverviewProject Overview

Applicants are expected to:– describe an intervention to be studied, describe an intervention to be studied, – place the intervention (or new measure) in context and place the intervention (or new measure) in context and

discuss how it is expected or known to improve safety and discuss how it is expected or known to improve safety and quality measurement,  quality measurement,  

– provide a detailed implementation plan with appropriate provide a detailed implementation plan with appropriate methods, project milestones, and timelinemethods, project milestones, and timeline

– describe a robust analysis and evaluation plan, and for describe a robust analysis and evaluation plan, and for intervention projects, include measures for assessing patient-, intervention projects, include measures for assessing patient-, office-, and health system-level outcomes, office-, and health system-level outcomes,

– and include a dissemination planand include a dissemination plan

Specific AimsSpecific Aims

In the Specific Aims section specify:In the Specific Aims section specify:– an intervention (or new measure to be developed),an intervention (or new measure to be developed),

It is expected that some aspect of the intervention will include the It is expected that some aspect of the intervention will include the use of some form of health IT, use of some form of health IT, or in the case of new measure development, that the new measure will rely on electronic coded data from EHRs or claims merged with EHRs.

– the type of ambulatory settings in which the intervention the type of ambulatory settings in which the intervention will be applied, or the new measure developedwill be applied, or the new measure developed

– the health professional groups involved the health professional groups involved note that interdisciplinary teams are encouraged whenever note that interdisciplinary teams are encouraged whenever

possiblepossible–   and the patient populations included in the intervention or and the patient populations included in the intervention or

new measure developed.new measure developed.

Highlights of the Research Design Highlights of the Research Design and Methods Sectionand Methods Section

Describe the selected research design and methodsDescribe the selected research design and methods– Explain why given the project objectives, and taking into account practical Explain why given the project objectives, and taking into account practical

constraints, the research design will best enable the specific aims to be constraints, the research design will best enable the specific aims to be realized.  realized. 

The applicant should describe the health IT component of the The applicant should describe the health IT component of the intervention.  intervention.  – Use of ANSI HITSP standards, where they exist, are required. Applications

that do not provide appropriate documentation of inclusion of existing ANSI HITSP standards will be returned without review. Partnership with a vendor of CCHIT-certified health IT is encouraged. In applications that employ existing measures of quality, use of AHRQ-developed, AQA- or HQA-approved standards is encouraged.

For those projects focused primarily on the development of measures, applicants must provide information on the evidence base from which the measure(s) are derived, any consensus development efforts included in the project, and the applicant’s proposed methods for validating and testing the measure(s) for clinical appropriateness, validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity.

More Highlights of the Research More Highlights of the Research Design and Methods SectionDesign and Methods Section

The design must include a timeline with specific milestones, covering all major phases of the The design must include a timeline with specific milestones, covering all major phases of the project. project.

Specify the project’s primary and secondary outcome measures.  Specify the project’s primary and secondary outcome measures.  – These may include health outcome, patient satisfaction, process measures, costs, and These may include health outcome, patient satisfaction, process measures, costs, and

measures of patient safety. measures of patient safety.  Describe how the intervention could be integrated into the delivery of ambulatory care throughout Describe how the intervention could be integrated into the delivery of ambulatory care throughout

the applicant organization and potentially into sites across the nation. the applicant organization and potentially into sites across the nation. Discuss the future sustainability of the intervention by host organization after the grant has ended. Discuss the future sustainability of the intervention by host organization after the grant has ended. Must present a project dissemination planMust present a project dissemination plan

– Dissemination plan must be incorporated into proposed budgetDissemination plan must be incorporated into proposed budget– Additional dissemination grants may be available. Project plan and budget, however, must Additional dissemination grants may be available. Project plan and budget, however, must

be complete without additional funding.be complete without additional funding.

Required MeasurementsRequired MeasurementsIn order to facilitate evaluation across projects in AHRQ's portfolio, AHRQ requires

applicants to measure and report on the following outcomes when appropriate to the project aims:

the percent of adoption and use of health IT, electronic prescribing, clinical decision support, or patient-specific electronic information (such as a personal health record) for providers who have been granted access.

the percent of patients who are receiving the appropriate care for prevention, treatment and medication therapy, especially in areas identified as high priority by the IOM.

the percent of eligible patients within the practices who have access to their personal health information, including medication therapy, and/or customized decision support.

patients’ and providers' access to and utilization of patient safety and quality measurement reports, especially if aggregated through a health information exchange.

the percent of ambulatory care clinicians within the practices that they partner with who routinely use measurement tools to evaluate their patient’s experience. Applicants are encouraged to use the new AHRQ- funded CAHPS® Clinician & Group Survey for this outcome measure. The survey is designed to assess patients’ perceptions of care at both the individual clinician level and the group practice level. The survey instruments are in the public domain (see http://www.cahps.ahrq.gov).

Privacy and SecurityPrivacy and Security

All applicants are required to describe how, in the All applicants are required to describe how, in the development and implementation of the intervention, privacy development and implementation of the intervention, privacy and security issues related to the exchange of sensitive and security issues related to the exchange of sensitive health information will be identified and addressed.  health information will be identified and addressed.  – Applicants should describe the resources and processes they will use Applicants should describe the resources and processes they will use

to assure that these privacy and security concerns are being met to assure that these privacy and security concerns are being met throughout the project period.  These could include the inclusion of throughout the project period.  These could include the inclusion of participating patients in periodic reviews in order to solicit their input participating patients in periodic reviews in order to solicit their input and consultation with knowledgeable professionals over the course of and consultation with knowledgeable professionals over the course of the project, as well as a description of any existing privacy or security the project, as well as a description of any existing privacy or security practices and technology that will be incorporated into the project and practices and technology that will be incorporated into the project and reviewed for compliance on a regular basis.reviewed for compliance on a regular basis.

– See the FOA for additional informationSee the FOA for additional information

Eligible InstitutionsEligible Institutions

You may submit an application if your organization is a: You may submit an application if your organization is a: – Public or non-profit private institution Public or non-profit private institution

including non-profit health care organizations, universities, colleges, and faith-based or including non-profit health care organizations, universities, colleges, and faith-based or community-based organizations community-based organizations

– Unit of local or State government or eligible agency of the Federal government Unit of local or State government or eligible agency of the Federal government – Indian/Native American Tribal Government or Tribally Designated Organization Indian/Native American Tribal Government or Tribally Designated Organization

For profit organizations are not eligible to lead applicationsFor profit organizations are not eligible to lead applications– For-profit organizations may participate in projects as members of consortia or as For-profit organizations may participate in projects as members of consortia or as

subcontractorssubcontractors– For-profit organizations that produce health IT systems are encouraged to apply For-profit organizations that produce health IT systems are encouraged to apply

in partnership with a non-profit organizationin partnership with a non-profit organization

Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply  Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply  – Foreign institutions may participate in projects as members of consortia or as Foreign institutions may participate in projects as members of consortia or as

subcontractorssubcontractors

Principal Investigator (PI)Principal Investigator (PI)

The PI should be an experienced senior level individual

Because of the nature of the project, expertise in evaluation is also a critical need that can be met through the requisite experience of the PI or another member of the project team.  

PI should devote a considerable portion of time to the project. If less than 20% time will be devoted, the application must include an explicit justification.

Individuals from underserved racial and ethnic groups and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to serve as PI.

Applications should describe PI responsibilities and background.  

Funding considerationsFunding considerations

Scientific merit of the proposed project as Scientific merit of the proposed project as determined by peer review determined by peer review

Availability of fundsAvailability of funds Responsiveness to goals and objectives of the Responsiveness to goals and objectives of the

FOAFOA Relevance to program prioritiesRelevance to program priorities Programmatic balance among the ASQ initiative Programmatic balance among the ASQ initiative

projectsprojects Portfolio balance within AHRQ and DHHS patient Portfolio balance within AHRQ and DHHS patient

safety and health IT activitiessafety and health IT activities

Non-Health IT Funding PreferenceNon-Health IT Funding Preference

Applicants may request to be considered for funding preference in the area of quality and patient safety that may not directly involve health IT. Applicants requesting such consideration are exempt from the health IT requirements and health IT aspects of the review criteria of the FOA, but all other requirements and criteria apply.

Applicants may request to be considered for this funding preference in Appendix 1. Appendix 1 should be titled “Qualifications for funding preferences," and should be used to justify the project's focus on patient safety considerations. If no funding preferences are requested, Appendix 1 should state “No funding preferences requested.”

Review CriteriaReview Criteria

Significance and impact Significance and impact Usefulness and generalizability Usefulness and generalizability Approach Approach Investigators and Partnerships Investigators and Partnerships Study setting(s) Study setting(s) Budget Budget

Additional considerationsAdditional considerations– Degree of responsivenessDegree of responsiveness– Privacy and Security Protections for PatientsPrivacy and Security Protections for Patients– Protection of Human Subjects from Research RiskProtection of Human Subjects from Research Risk– Inclusion of priority populationsInclusion of priority populations

Mechanism of Support & Mechanism of Support & Funds AvailableFunds Available

R 18 Research Demonstration and Dissemination Projects – To provide support designed to develop, test and To provide support designed to develop, test and

evaluate health service activities evaluate health service activities One-time solicitation Projected $6.8 million in total costs in FY 07 Up to 24 months in duration Budget supported by AHRQ not to exceed $1 million in

total costs (Note: total costs = direct and indirect) Budget also may not exceed $500,000 in total costs in

any single project year Anticipated that size and duration will vary

AHRQ does not accept modular AHRQ does not accept modular budgetsbudgets

AHRQ uses ONLY the detailed Research & AHRQ uses ONLY the detailed Research & Related Budget.  Related Budget.  

Do not use the PHS 398 Modular Budget.  Do not use the PHS 398 Modular Budget.  Applications submitted in modular budget Applications submitted in modular budget

format will be returned without review. format will be returned without review.

SF424(R&R)SF424(R&R)

All applications must be submitted All applications must be submitted electronicallyelectronically

Please see FOA for instructions on how to Please see FOA for instructions on how to obtain electronic forms and register your obtain electronic forms and register your institution and PIinstitution and PI

Key DatesKey Dates

Opening Date: January 13, 2007 Letter of Intent Receipt Date: January 19, 2007 Application Submission Date: February 13, 2007 Peer Review Date: April/May 2007 Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 2007

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

Are hospitals allowed to apply?Are hospitals allowed to apply?

Public and non-profit health care institutions, Public and non-profit health care institutions, including hospitals, are eligible to apply.including hospitals, are eligible to apply.

For-profit organizations, including for-profit For-profit organizations, including for-profit health care organizations and health IT health care organizations and health IT vendors, may be included as consortia vendors, may be included as consortia members or subcontractors in an application members or subcontractors in an application submitted by an eligible lead organization.submitted by an eligible lead organization.

Does AHRQ accept modular Does AHRQ accept modular budgets?budgets?

No.No.– AHRQ uses ONLY the detailed Research & AHRQ uses ONLY the detailed Research &

Related Budget.  Related Budget.  – Do not use a Modular Budget.  Do not use a Modular Budget.  – Applications submitted in modular budget format Applications submitted in modular budget format

will be returned without review. will be returned without review.

Are Emergency Rooms ambulatory Are Emergency Rooms ambulatory care sites?care sites?

For the purpose of this FOA, Yes.For the purpose of this FOA, Yes.– AAmbulatory settings include: health care clinician offices mbulatory settings include: health care clinician offices

(large and small practices), outpatient clinics, community (large and small practices), outpatient clinics, community health centers, emergency departments, urgent care health centers, emergency departments, urgent care centers, and ambulatory surgery centers. centers, and ambulatory surgery centers. 

– For the purpose of this programFor the purpose of this program: : home care entities are home care entities are included as well.included as well.

What if we want to focus on the transition What if we want to focus on the transition between settingsbetween settings??

Health care transitionsHealth care transitions – Movement of patients between health care providers and Movement of patients between health care providers and

settings as their conditions and care needs change during settings as their conditions and care needs change during the course of a chronic or acute illnessthe course of a chronic or acute illness

– The ASQ program includes a focus on transitions The ASQ program includes a focus on transitions between ambulatory care settings and hospitals, home between ambulatory care settings and hospitals, home care, assisted living centers, and nursing homes care, assisted living centers, and nursing homes critical to the success of ambulatory care for many elderly and critical to the success of ambulatory care for many elderly and

chronically ill populations. chronically ill populations. – Non-ambulatory settings with a strong interest in fostering Non-ambulatory settings with a strong interest in fostering

safe, high quality ambulatory care and transitions are safe, high quality ambulatory care and transitions are welcome to apply in partnership with an ambulatory welcome to apply in partnership with an ambulatory organization organization

Can there be Co-PIs?Can there be Co-PIs?

No.No.– AHRQ requires that the lead institution designate AHRQ requires that the lead institution designate

one and only one individual as the project’s one and only one individual as the project’s principal investigator. principal investigator.

Ground Rules for Open ForumGround Rules for Open Forum The conference call operator will put you in a queue based on

call order.

Please keep your questions brief.

We will try to keep responses brief.

Questions that are very specific to a particular institution or situation will not be addressed – these can be discussed individually with a Project Officer from AHRQ at a later time.

If you do not get an opportunity to ask a question, please e-mail your question to QualityMeasurement@ahrq.hhs.gov.

AHRQ contactsAHRQ contacts For additional technical assistance, please contact an AHRQ

staff person who will be glad to provide technical assistance:

– Scientific/Research Issues: Angela Lavanderos: QualityMeasurement@ahrq.hhs.gov Marge Keyes: QualityMeasurement@ahrq.hhs.gov

– Peer Review Issues: Kishena Wadhwani: Kishena.Wadhwani@ahrq.hhs.gov

– Financial/Grant Management Issues: Al Deal: Al.Deal@ahrq.hhs.gov