Closing the Quality Gap Series

Revisiting the State of the Science

Overview

Between 2004 and 2007, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published a series of evidence reports—Closing the Quality Gap: A Critical Analysis of Quality Improvement Strategies—that summarized the evidence on quality improvement strategies related to chronic conditions (diabetes, asthma, hypertension), practice areas (prevention of healthcare-acquired infections, antibiotic prescribing behavior), and cross-cutting priorities (care coordination).

This new series of reports, Closing the Quality Gap: Revisiting the State of Science, continues the focus on improving the quality of health care through critical assessment of relevant evidence for selected settings, interventions, and clinical conditions. Select for an overview that provides background on the launching of the series; topic selection and development, the key questions (KQ) that will guide the scope, technical expert panel selection, analysis, and reporting of each topic; and the organizing analytic framework to guide scope development and organization of the summary report of the overall series.

The following evidence reports are available:

• Summary Report.
• The Patient-Centered Medical Home.
• Quality Improvement Interventions to Address Health Disparities.
• Public Reporting as a Quality Improvement Strategy.
• Bundled Payment: Effects on Health Care Spending and Quality.
• Medication Adherence Interventions: Comparative Effectiveness.
• Quality Improvement Measurement of Outcomes for People With Disabilities.
• Improving Health Care and Palliative Care for Advanced and Serious Illness.
• Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections.
• Through the Quality Kaleidoscope: Reflections on the Science and Practice of Improving Health Care Quality.