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Prevention and Chronic Care

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3/01/10 Public Comment on Key Questions of the Evidence: Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults
4/02/10 Public Comment on Methodology: Identifying Research Priorities for Clinical Preventive Services
4/15/10 Introducing the myhealthfinder Widget
4/26/10 Public Comment on Key Questions of the Evidence: Screening and Treatment of Glaucoma
6/16/10 Get Dad to the Doc
7/19/10 Introducing the electronic Preventive Services Selector Widget
7/22/10 Patient Centered Medical Home Website Launched
8/05/10 Solicitation of New Topic Nominations for USPSTF
8/27/10 NGC and NQMC Have a New Look!
8/31/10 Solicitation of Nominations for USPSTF Members
11/03/10 New AHRQ Website Shows Men How to Stay Healthy
12/16/10 Public Comment on Key Questions of the Evidence: Screening, Counseling, and Interventions to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Announcement Details 

3/1/10 Public Comment on Key Questions of the Evidence: Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults

Through a partnership with the Effective Health Care Program, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is offering an opportunity for public comment on the key questions of the evidence on Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease. To provide comments, go to http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/research-available-for-comment/comment-key-questions/?pageaction=displayquestions&topicid=163&questionset=113 and select "Comparative Effectiveness Screening, Monitoring, and Treatment of Early Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults."

As the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force works to increase the transparency of its methods and processes, additional opportunities for public comment will be available. Information about these opportunities will be posted on http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/. 

4/2/10 Public Comment on Methodology: Identifying Research Priorities for Clinical Preventive Services

In the interest of encouraging research on topics that have critical evidence gaps and for which the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued a statement of ”insufficient evidence” (known as an “I Statement”), the Task Force and AHRQ are working together to establish priorities for research in the area of clinical preventive services. A working group has recently established draft methods for this process, and AHRQ is now offering an opportunity for public comment on the draft methodology. To provide comments, please go to http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/tfcomment.htm and follow the directions for submitting comments. The public comment period is open until May 14, 2010.

Additional information about the evidence-based recommendations of the Task Force and AHRQ's work to improve the delivery of effective clinical preventive services is available at: www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov. 

4/15/10 Introducing the myhealthfinder Widget

Provide your visitors with free personalized health and wellness information at the click of a button. healthfinder.gov recently launched the myhealthfinder widget. The widget provides screening and prevention recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force based on age, sex, and pregnancy status.

healthfinder.gov also features the Be Active Your Way widget, an interactive quiz that provides physical activity tips and recommendations.

A widget is an online tool that can be easily added to any Web site or blog. Just add the widget to your site, and content will be automatically updated. It's easy, fun, and can be used over and over again.

View both widgets at www.healthfinder.gov/widgets.

healthfinder.gov is a Federal Government Web site offering trusted prevention and wellness resources for consumers. The site features actionable health information and tools presented in an easy-to-use format. 

4/26/10 Public Comment on Key Questions of the Evidence: Screening and Treatment of Glaucoma

Through a partnership with the Effective Health Care Program, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is offering an opportunity for public comment on the key questions of the evidence on Screening and Treatment of Glaucoma. To provide comments, go to http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/tfcomment.htm and select "Comparative Effectiveness of Screening for Glaucoma" or "Comparative Effectiveness of Treatment for Glaucoma."

As the USPSTF works to increase the transparency of its methods and processes, additional opportunities for public comment will be available. Information about these opportunities will be posted on http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/. 

6/16/10 Get Dad to the Doc

Tell dad you want him to be there for his family now and in the future. Send an e-card to remind him (and all the men in your life) to go to the doctor to get the preventive medical tests he needs now so he'll be there for you later. Visit: http://www.dadtothedoc.org/. 

7/19/10 Introducing the electronic Preventive Services Selector Widget

Access recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) at the click of a button—introducing the electronic Preventive Services Selector Widget!

The electronic Preventive Services Selector (ePSS) is an application designed to help primary care clinicians identify the screening, counseling, and preventive medication services that are appropriate for their patients. The ePSS widget provides easy and free access to these clinical preventive service recommendations from the USPSTF.

A widget is an online tool that can be easily added to any website or blog. Embedding a short amount of web-based code will add the widget to your site and content will be automatically updated. It's easy, fun, and can be used over and over again!

You can find out more about the evidence-based recommendations of the USPSTF at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org  and www.epss.ahrq.gov. 

7/22/10 Patient Centered Medical Home Website Launched

AHRQ announces the launch of a new website devoted to providing objective information to policymakers and researchers on the medical home, www.pcmh.ahrq.gov. The site provides users with searchable access to a rich database of publications and other resources on the medical home and exclusive access to the following AHRQ-funded white papers focused on critical medical home issues:

Necessary But Not Sufficient: The HITECH Act and Health Information Technology's Potential to Build Medical Homes (PDF Version, 236 KB)
Examining the potential of health IT to support the transformation by primary care practices to the PCMH model, this white paper looks at how the HITECH Act and health reform legislation supports the PCMH model and offers policy recommendations on increasing the ability of health IT to contribute to it.

Engaging Patients and Families in the Medical Home (PDF Version, 517 KB)
Presenting a framework for engaging patients and families in the medical home, this white paper offers policymakers and researchers insights into opportunities for engagement, examples of existing efforts, and key lessons for future efforts.

Integrating Mental Health Treatment Into the Patient Centered Medical Home (PDF Version, 175 KB)
Examining the conceptual similarities in and differences between the PCMH and current strategies used to deliver mental health treatment in primary care, this white paper presents programmatic and policy actions needed to facilitate the integration of high-quality mental health treatment within a PCMH. 

8/5/10 Solicitation of New Topic Nominations for USPSTF

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites individuals and organizations to nominate primary and secondary prevention topics pertaining to clinical preventive services that they would like the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to consider for review. For complete information and directions, please review the Federal Registry Notice at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-19117.pdf.

All topics previously reviewed by the USPSTF are available on its website: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/.  

8/27/10 NGC and NQMC Have a New Look!

The National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC) and National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC) websites now offer updated design elements, a new measure summary display, enhanced searching, and easier access to all content. You may notice that some features are not yet fully functional. Please be assured that we are working to complete them. We hope you will be pleased with what you see and that the redesign will make your NGC and NQMC experience more productive and enjoyable.

NGC is a public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. NQMC is a public resource for evidence-based quality measures and measure sets.

Please visit the NGC website at http://www.guideline.gov/index.aspx and the NQMC website at http://www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/index.aspx. 

8/31/10 Solicitation of Nominations for USPSTF Members

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality invites nominations of individuals qualified to serve as members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF, a standing, independent panel of non-Federal experts that makes evidence-based recommendations to the health care community and the public regarding clinical preventive services, is composed of 16 members, who are appointed to serve staggered 4-year terms. New members are selected each year to replace approximately one fourth of the USPSTF members; that is, those who are completing their appointments.

For complete information, including member duties and qualification requirements, and directions for submitting nominations, please review the Federal Register notice at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-08-05/html/2010-19117.htm. 

11/3/10 New AHRQ Website Shows Men How to Stay Healthy

Healthy Men, http://www.ahrq.gov/healthymen/, is a new AHRQ website that helps men learn what preventive medical tests they need and when to get them. The website includes the latest recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and other diseases. It also includes information, such as when to get flu and pneumonia shots, daily healthy choices, tips on talking with the doctor during medical appointments, understanding prescriptions, finding advice and support when diagnosed with a health problem, and sources of information to help men become more knowledgeable about their health.

The website also comes with a 10-question preventive health quiz for men, a “Get Dad to the Doc” e-card, 15- and 30- second public service announcements from AHRQ and the Advertising Council's nationwide campaign, and the Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age pamphlet. Print copies of the pamphlet can be obtained by emailing ahrqpubs@ahrq.gov or calling (800) 358-9295. 

12/16/10 Public Comment on Key Questions of the Evidence: Screening, Behavioral Counseling, and Pharmacologic Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Through a partnership with the Effective Health Care Program, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is offering an opportunity for public comment on the key questions of the evidence on screening, behavioral counseling, and pharmacologic interventions in primary care to reduce unhealthy alcohol use. To provide comments, go to http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/research-available-for-comment/ and select "Screening, Behavioral Counseling, and Pharmacologic Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use."

As the USPSTF works to increase the transparency of its methods and processes, additional opportunities for public comment will be available. Information about these opportunities will be posted on http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/index.html. 

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