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Healthcare disparities are differences in access to or availability of medical facilities and services and variation in rates of disease occurrence and disabilities between population groups defined by socioeconomic characteristics such as age, ethnicity, economic resources, or gender and populations identified geographically or similar measures. AHRQ has reports and data on disparities in health care related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Each year, somewhere between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people in the United States fall in the hospital, and about 1.3 million residents in nursing facilities fall. Falls can lead to serious injuries, decreased ability to function, reduced quality of life, increased fear of falling, and increased health care use. AHRQ’s tools, training, and research on preventing falls in hospitals and nursing homes.

Reducing preventable hospital readmissions is a national priority for payers, providers, and policymakers seeking to improve health care and lower costs. In 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began reducing Medicare payments for certain hospitals with excess 30-day readmissions for patients with several conditions. AHRQ’s tools, data, and research to help hospitals reduce preventable readmissions.

AHRQ has information on the National Quality Strategy, data on health care quality, details on quality measurement projects, and AHRQ resources on quality.

AHRQ’s Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS™) Program, develops and maintains surveys, toolkits, and databases on patient safety culture for hospitals, medical offices, nursing homes, community pharmacies, and ambulatory surgery centers.

Health literacy occurs when health information and services created for the public match with people's capacity to find, understand, and use them. AHRQ's health literacy resources help health care professionals and delivery organizations make information easier to understand and systems easier to navigate for patients.

Challenge and prize competitions are one path that Federal agencies take to drive innovation. AHRQ has embarked on challenges that are offered on Challenge.gov.

AHRQ’s tools and research to ensure safe and seamless transitions of patients from one care setting to another, reducing preventable adverse events, drug-related errors, and other problems.