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AHRQ Seeks Comments on Measures of Health Disparity

In reauthorizing the HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Congress required an annual report on health care disparities in the United States. This National Healthcare Disparities Report will include a broad set of performance measures that will be used to monitor the Nation's progress toward improved health care quality for all Americans.

The National Healthcare Disparities report will build on the framework that the Institute of Medicine has developed for another report mandated by the Congress, the National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR). In addition to the NHQR measures, AHRQ staff have explored data and measures from a wide variety of sources. AHRQ also reviewed and accepted suggestions for possible databases and specific measures that were submitted by the public in response to a Federal Register notice published on June 5, 2002.

Now AHRQ is seeking input on the preliminary measure set from stakeholders and other interested parties. The agency is especially interested in input on the individual measures included and the overall balance, comprehensiveness, and robustness of the measure set.

While obtaining input, AHRQ will begin relevant data analysis for the measures in the preliminary measure set. Based on the input and the results of analyses, final decisions will be made on which measures will be included in the first National Healthcare Disparities Report. AHRQ hopes to obtain agreement on the final measure set by January 1, 2003. This decisionmaking process will involve broad input from throughout HHS. For more information, see http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr02/nhdrprelim.htm

AHRQ will accept comments and suggestions on the preliminary measure set until December 13, 2002.

Respond to:

Helen Burstin, M.D.
Director, Center for Primary Care Research
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Phone: (301) 594-4028
E-mail: NHDR@AHRQ.GOV


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