AHRQ Seeks Nominations for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Issue Number
991
April 28, 2026
Today’s Headlines:
- AHRQ Seeks Nominations for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- Register for May 6 Grand Rounds: Medicare Coverage for Dental Services Webinar.
- Building Patient and Workforce Safety Culture Webinar: Recording Available.
- A Fresh Way To Engage Long-Term Care Teams in Infection Prevention.
- Register for Upcoming Webinars.
- AHRQ Stats: Most Expensive Health Services for Children Treated for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- New Research and Evidence.
AHRQ Seeks Nominations for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
AHRQ invites nominations of individuals to serve as members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which develops evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services that help improve health outcomes nationwide. AHRQ is seeking clinicians and researchers with expertise in evidence-based medicine, clinical prevention and primary care, including but not limited to specialties such as cardiology, oncology, OB/GYN, pediatrics, family medicine and health economics. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominations must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. on May 23, 2026. Learn more and apply.
Register for May 6 Grand Rounds: Medicare Coverage for Dental Services Webinar
Join the AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program Grand Rounds webinar on Medicare coverage for dental services. This session will present findings from an AHRQ–CMS interagency collaboration examining the relationship between dental services and health outcomes tied to Medicare-covered care, including implications for the Physician Fee Schedule. Speakers will review current evidence on the impact of dental care on health outcomes, with a focus on patients undergoing cancer treatment and those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Topics include the role of pretreatment dental care in reducing complications such as oral infections, mucositis and osteonecrosis in cancer patients, as well as the association between oral health and CKD outcomes. The webinar also will address evidence gaps and key policy considerations related to Medicare coverage of dental services. Register for the webinar, scheduled for 2-4 p.m. ET May 6. Learn more about the Grand Rounds series.
Building Patient and Workforce Safety Culture Webinar: Recording Available
The National Action Alliance for Patient and Workforce Safety, a collective effort of federal agencies and private partners, aims to improve the safety of patients and the healthcare workforce to catalyze change by applying known harm reduction strategies and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The National Action Alliance envisions a future with safe care everywhere and zero preventable harm for all. On Jan. 27, AHRQ’s National Action Alliance staff hosted “Making Safety a Core Value: Building the Foundation,” the first webinar in a series spotlighting the findings from the Best Practices to Strengthen Safety Culture, Leadership and Governance report and change package. Moderated by Martin J. Hatlie, J.D., of Patients for Patient Safety U.S., the event featured real-world insights from three leading healthcare systems on how they operationalize safety as a true organizational core value. This topic aligns with its mission to pursue a total systems approach to improving safety that aligns with the first element of the National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety’s four foundational elements of safety: culture, leadership and governance; patient and family engagement; workforce safety; and learning health system development. Access other previous webinars and register for upcoming events on the National Action Alliance: Webinars page.
A Fresh Way To Engage Long-Term Care Teams in Infection Prevention
Infection prevention training can be evidence based and engaging. A new escape room-style game in the AHRQ Toolkit for Improving Skin Care and MDRO Prevention in Long-Term Care brings a collaborative, story-driven tabletop experience to post-acute and long-term care settings, transforming how staff learn and apply essential practices. In the tabletop game, players respond to changes in a resident’s skin condition and work with environmental services staff, a physician, an infection preventionist and the resident. They reinforce core topics such as skin assessment, hand hygiene, contact precautions, enhanced barrier precautions and environmental cleaning.
Across four themed rooms, teams solve puzzles and crack a code to advance. The game highlights the role every staff member plays in infection prevention, emphasizing teamwork, communication and critical thinking. Free resources, including the user guide and printable materials, are available online and were developed as part of the AHRQ Safety Program for MRSA Prevention, which has been implemented in more than 300 facilities nationwide. Read more about the game in Caring for the Ages.
Register for Upcoming Webinars
- May 6, 2-4 p.m. ET: Evidence-based Practice Center Program Grand Rounds webinar on Medicare coverage for dental services.
- May 13, 2-3 p.m. ET: Diagnostic Excellence Listening Session.
- June 10, 1-2:30 p.m. ET: From Coding to Braiding: Strategies for Financing and Sustaining Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Settings.
AHRQ Stats: Most Expensive Health Services for Children Treated for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Ambulatory services accounted for nearly half of all expenses for children who did and did not receive treatment for autism spectrum disorder between 2018 and 2022. Additionally, home health services accounted for 35.6 percent of costs among children who received treatment. (Source: AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #565, Treatment and Health Expenditures among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2018-2022.)
New Research and Evidence
- Systematic review (draft open for comment through May 13): Improving the Management of Menopausal Symptoms in Perimenopausal and Early Postmenopausal Women.
