New AHRQ Resources to Help Primary Care Providers Engage in Quality Improvement

Quality improvement has become a hot buzz phrase in today’s health care environment, partially driven by quality reporting programs, such as the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and value-based payment modifier, and the advent of alternative delivery systems such as Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH).

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has two new resources to help primary care practices effectively continue to engage in quality improvement activities.

1. Engaging Primary Care Practices in Quality Improvement: Strategies for Practice Facilitators This white paper provides a framework on how to engage primary care practices in quality improvement and offers a number of practical strategies to help practice facilitators address important challenges. These include setting the stage for working with practices that are not yet ready to engage, building trusted relationships, and effectively communicating information for improvement. The white paper, associated brief, and related resources, including a related tip sheet for primary care practices, are available online from AHRQ’s PCMH Resource Center.
2. Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care
   This white paper shares lessons learned from experts in fields such as health IT, clinical practice, primary care transformation, and human factors engineering, as well as from representatives of three primary care organizations who have made exemplary use of health IT for quality improvement. This white paper and additional information for primary care practices can also be accessed online at the PCMH Resource Center.

AHRQ’s Improving Primary Care Practice web pages contain general information and resources related to primary care transformation and improvement.

“Shared decision making can make an impact on the quality of care you deliver,” said Ray Fabius, MD, a PAMED member and a nationally respected expert in quality and population health who is facilitating a new volume-to-value educational series being developed by PAMED. Learn how to educate your colleagues on engaging patients through shared decision making during a free, one-day train-the-trainer workshop in Harrisburg on May 21.