Reducing Health Disparities Through Research & Translation Programs (T

Slide Presentation from the AHRQ 2011 Annual Conference

Reducing Health Disparities Through Research & Translation Programs

Slide Presentation from the AHRQ 2011 Annual Conference

On September 20, 2011, Francis Chesley, Jr. made this presentation at the 2011 Annual Conference. Select to access the PowerPoint® presentation (1.4 MB). .

Slide 1

Reducing Health Disparities Through Research & Translation Programs

Francis D. Chesley, Jr., M.D.
Director, Office of Extramural Research, Education, & Priority Populations
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

AHRQ Annual Meeting
September 20, 2011

Slide 2

AHRQ Priorities

Patient Safety

• Health Information Technology (IT).
• Patient Safety Organizations.
• New Patient Safety Grants.

Effective Health Care Program

• Comparative Effectiveness Reviews.
• Comparative Effectiveness Research.
• Clear Findings for Multiple Audiences.

Other Research & Dissemination Activities

• Quality & Cost-Effectiveness, e.g., Prevention and Pharmaceutical Outcomes.
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus/Healthcare-associated Infections (MRSA/HAIs).

Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys

• Visit-Level Information on Medical Expenditures.
• Annual Quality & Disparities Reports.

Ambulatory Patient Safety

• Safety & Quality Measures, Drug Management and Patient-Centered Care.
• Patient Safety Improvement Corps.

Slide 3

Health & Health Care Disparities

• Disparities: a meaningful difference between population groups in access or quality of care.
• Racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care are well documents & and worsening in some cases:
  • Life expectancy.
  • Infant mortality.
  • Chronic diseases.
  • Quality.
• The U.S. population continues to become more diverse (54% of US population by 2050).
• We know enough to act now.

Slide 4

New: 2010 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports

Reports Indicate that Quality Is Improving, but at a Slow Pace

• Overall, improvement in the quality of care remains suboptimal and access to care is not improving.
• Few disparities in quality are getting smaller and almost no disparities in access are getting smaller.
• Quality of care varies not only across types of care but also across parts of the country.

Slide 5

2010 National Healthcare Disparities Report

Health care quality and access are suboptimal, especially for minority and low-income groups.

• Hispanics received worse care than non-Hispanic Whites for about 60% of core measures.
• Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives received worse care than Whites for about 40% of core measures.
• Asians received worse care than Whites for about 20% of core measures.
• Poor people received worse care than high-income people for about 80% of core measures.

Slide 6

AHRQ Priority Populations Inclusion Policy

• Inner city and rural areas (including frontier areas).
• Low income groups.
• Racial and ethnic minority groups.
• Women and children.
• The elderly.
• Individuals with special health care needs, including individuals with disabilities and those who need chronic care or end-of-life health care.

Slide 7

Strategies for Action within Agency Programs

• Leverage Legislation.
• Budget Development & Execution.
• Grant and Contract Policies.
• Clear Articulation of Disparities Research, Dissemination & Implementation Priorities.
• Tracking and Evaluation.

Slide 8

Articulating Priority & Innovation

• Address disparities reduction in conceptual, intervention and analytic models.
• Balanced projects within an initiative with a require focus on improving outcomes for specific populations:
  • Research Centers of Excellence in Clinical Preventive Services (RFA-HS-11-005).
• Innovations in peer review:
  • Require disparities focus (where appropriate).
  • Selection of reviewers & specific guidance.
  • Extra points for addressing disparities or outcomes for priority populations.

Slide 9

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)

• Includes a significant focus on reducing health disparities and improving the health of diverse populations.
• Requires data collection and reporting by race, ethnicity, primary language & disability status.
• Will provide an evidence base for action by identifying gaps and trends.
• Requires development of a National Quality Strategy:
  • Reducing health disparities across populations is a criterion for priority setting

Slide 10

ACA and Disparities Research

• New Office of Minority Health at AHRQ.
• Patient-centered Outcomes Research Institute:
  • Comparative effectiveness research.
  • Research funding (peer review & public comment required).
  • Requires a focus on racial and ethnic minorities, gender, age, and health disparities.
  • AHRQ funding: $8M in FY11, $24M in FY12.

Slide 11

ACA Provisions and AHRQ

• New Office of Minority Health at AHRQ:
  • AHRQ Action Plan linked to HHS Action Plan to Reduce Disparities.
  • Sets specific objectives and expectations and requires accountability.
• Specific Research Priorities:
  • Research Centers for Excellence in Clinical Preventive Services (RFA-HS-11-005) — Health Equity Research Center of Excellence.
  • Research on Health Issues for Minority Women (NOT-HS-11-013).

Slide 12

Thank You

AHRQ Mission
To improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.

AHRQ Vision
As a result of AHRQ's efforts, American health care will provide services of the highest quality, with the best possible outcomes, at the lowest cost.