Evaluation of AHRQ's Pharmaceutical Outcomes Portfolio

Final Report

To improve its services continuously, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) evaluates its programs to examine the performance of those programs in achieving their objectives. An important part of the HHS evaluation function is communicating the findings and recommendations of the evaluation studies.

This report evaluates a program of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). It was prepared by Abt Associates, Inc., under Contract No. 05R00007.

To download the print version, select the PDF Files:( Volume 1, 801 KB) or ( Volume 2, 2.1 MB). Plugin Software Help.

By Sarah J. Shoemaker^a, Harmon Jordan^a, Kimberlee Luc^a, Yann Kumin^a, Amy Fitzpatrick^a, Kimberly Fredericks^b, Sheila Weiss^c

Contents

Volume 1

1. Introduction
   1.2. Purpose and Objectives of the Evaluation
2. Methods
   2.1.Social Network Analysis
   2.2. Site Visits and Discussions
   2.3. Document Review
   2.4. Impact Case Studies
   2.5. Appreciative Inquiry
   2.6. Data Collection
   2.7. Limitations of the Methods
3. Findings
   3.1. The CERTs Network: Understanding Structure, Communication & Relationships
   3.2. Portfolio Outputs and Dissemination
   3.3. Outcomes and Impacts of Portfolio Research
   3.4. CERTs Program Outcomes
   3.5. CERTs Program Strengths & Successes: Results of the Appreciative Inquiry Exercise
   3.6. Portfolio Funding
   3.7. Portfolio Progress Reporting
   3.8. Progress towards meeting Agency and DHHS objectives from 2002-2005
4. Discussion
   4.1. Progress of the Portfolio towards meeting Agency and DHHS objectives in the past four years.
   4.2. Impact of Portfolio research on state and federal health care policy making
   4.3. Adequacy of Portfolio progress reporting
   4.4. Contribution and role of the Duke Coordinating Center (CC), Steering Committee, program office, and other partners to the CERTs.
   4.5. Strengths of the program and most successful or promising research, especially with respect to the PART goals.
   4.6. Role of Portfolio relative to other AHRQ and DHHS priorities.
References
Notes
Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Evaluation Components
Exhibit 2: Distribution of Stakeholder Discussions
Exhibit 3: Respondents by CERT
Exhibit 4: (Not available)
Exhibit 5: CERT Social Network Analysis Measures
Exhibit 6: Count of Publications
Exhibit 7: Number of Publications by CERT by Type of Publication
Exhibit 8: Total Projects by CERT
Exhibit 9: CERTs Presentations by Year
Exhibit 10: Sample Educational Outputs Produced by Each CERT
Exhibit 11: CERT Partners Types
Exhibit 12: CERTs Funding Sources
Tables
Table 1: Level 1 Findings: Data and Methods
Table 2: Level 1 Findings: Adherence
Table 3: Level 1 Findings: Medication Safety
Table 4: Level 1 Findings: Medication Errors
Table 5: Level 1 Findings: Trends
Table 6: Level 1 Findings: Cost and Economics of Therapeutics
Table 7: Level 1 Findings: QT Prolonging Medications
Table 8: Level 1 Findings: Antibiotics and Antimicrobials
Appendixes
Appendix 1: Evaluation Study Questions and Objectives
Appendix 2 Social Network Analysis Measures
Appendix 3: Documents Reviewed and Coded

Volume 2: Attachments

Attachment 1. HMO Network Sociogram
Attachment 2. Duke Sociogram
Attachment 3. UNC Sociogram
Attachment 4. Vanderbilt Sociogram
Attachment 5. Arizona Sociogram
Attachment 6. Penn Sociogram
Attachment 7. Alabama Sociogram
Attachment 8. Coordinating Center (Now) Sociogram
Attachment 9. Coordinating Center (Now) Sociogram
Attachment 10. Preferred Partners Sociogram
Attachment 11. Final Collaboration Network Sociogram
Attachment 12. Appreciative Inquiry Workshop And Stakeholder Discussion Guides

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