[Federal Register: September 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 188)]
[Notices]
[Page 55214-55216]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28se07-93]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of Submission of Innovations.
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SUMMARY: To support its objective of accelerating the diffusion and
adoption of innovative health care delivery changes, the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently launched version 1.0 of
the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange (HCIE) Web site, http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov.
The HCIE is a new initiative designed to
support health care professionals in sharing and adopting innovations
that improve health care quality. Version 1.0 of the Web site is
focused on stimulating creativity and innovation and will serve as a
virtual place to which innovators will be encouraged to submit their
innovations and experiences from which potential adopters can begin
learning about the nuances of implementation.
In Spring 2008, AHRQ will deploy version 2.0 of its Health Care
Innovations Exchange site making hundreds of profiles of health care
service innovations of varying degrees of novelty and scientific rigor
accessible to the public. Version 2.0 will also offer expert
commentary; stories; tools; lessons learned; ``change packages''--sets
of innovations implemented simultaneously; expanded content on
implementation; and opportunities to learn and network.
To build the database of innovations profiles, AHRQ invites
submissions of
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health service innovations to its Health Care Innovations Exchange. The
AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange database will cover the broad
spectrum of health care settings, systems, and providers. Public health
priority diseases/conditions, priority populations, and efforts to
reduce disparities in quality will be highlighted.
The AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange is seeking a broad range
of novel health care strategies, activities, and tools. AHRQ invites
participation in its Health Care Innovations Exchange by submitting
descriptions of innovative efforts to improve the delivery of health
care services.
DATES: There is no deadline for submission. It is a continuous
submission and review process.
Special Incentive To Submit
AHRQ will provide early submitters (those who submit by January 15,
2008) and opportunity to preview and comment on version 2.0 of the
Health Care Innovations Exchange Web site via a secure mechanism. In
this preview, an opportunity will be given to browse and search the
innovations profiled up to that point.
ADDRESSES: Submit to info@innovations.ahrq.gov.
How To Submit
To submit a health care innovation for possible posting, send a
description of the innovation that would include the health care
setting and patient population it is our could be used for and any
results that have been documented, to the Health Care Innovations
Exchange at info@innovations.ahrq.gov. Please use the words
``Innovation Submission'' in the subject line. If you prefer, you can
fax information about your innovation to 301-610-4950. You may also
mail information to Mary Nix, Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, Center for Outcomes and Evidence, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville,
MD 20850. Detailed information on submitting can be obtained from the
AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange Web page titled ``Share Your
Innovations'', http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/share/share.aspx.
Supporting documents may be sent with the submission. Once AHRQ has
reviewed your submission and identified it as a priority item for
posting, AHRQ will contact the submitter to discuss the details
regarding what will be included in standardized postings. Copyright or
other intellectual property issues, if any, will be addressed at that
time.
If the innovation is accepted for inclusion, AHRQ will develop a
detailed profile and send it to the submitter to review for accuracy
and completeness. The innovation will then be ready for publication in
Version 2.0 of the Health Care Innovations Exchange scheduled for
public release in Spring 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Explore: http://www.innovations.
ahrq.gov; And/Or Contact: Mary P. Nix, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Health
Scientist Administrator, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, phone: 301-427-1624, e-mail:
Mary.Nix@ahrq.hhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Inclusion Criteria
To be considered for inclusion, health are innovations have to meet
six criteria with respect to the nature of the activity, the level of
documentation, and the participation of the innovator. These are
minimum requirements. The ultimate decision to publish a detailed
profile of an innovation (an Innovation Profile) will depend on several
factors, including an evaluation by AHRQ, AHRQ's priorities (see
below), and the number of similar ideas in the Health Care Innovations
Exchange. Innovations that do not qualify for an Innovation Profile may
qualify as Innovation Briefs (short descriptions of intriguing
activities that either do not meet the minimum requirements or are not
regarded as high priority) or Innovation Attempts (descriptions of
projects that did not succeed as planned). Criteria to be considered
are:
The innovation is a patient care services activity
The innovation does not have to involve direct patient care or
direct contact with health care consumers. However, it must have
important implications for the delivery of patient care--whether
preventative, emergent, chronic, acute, rehabilitative, long-term, or
end-of-life. Innovations that are devices, tools, technology, software,
curricula, policies, procedures, and changes to the physical
environment will generally be excluded unless they are tied to a
specific and associated change in the health care delivery process when
implemented.
The innovation intends to improve one or more domains of health care
quality
The innovation must be designed to address one or more specific
measurable indicators of quality in one or more of the following
domains: effectiveness, efficiency, equity, patient-centeredness,
safety, and timeliness. The measurable quality indicators do not have
to come from an established measure set, but they must be clearly
defined and relevant to the quality issue the innovation addresses. In
addition, the innovation must not contradict established standards of
evidence-based care.
There is reason to believe that the innovation will be effective
Evidence that the innovation is likely to achieve its goals must be
provided. Ideally, quantitative or qualitative support for a link
between the innovation and improved performance on the defined quality
indicator should be offered. However, if data are unavailable, limited,
or lacking methodological rigor, the design or theoretical foundation
of the innovative activity may serve as sufficient support.
The activity is truly innovative in a given context
For the purposes of the Health Care Innovation Exchange,
innovations are activities that are generally perceived as new in a
particular context or setting relative to the usual care processes. In
addition to brand new ideas, this includes activities adapted from
other industries to health care, transferred from one health care
setting or market segment to another, drawn from settings in other
countries, or applied to a new or different patient population. A
description of how the innovation differs from what was regarded as
standard practice in the setting in which it was implemented must be
supplied.
Information about the innovation is publicly available
Innovators must be willing to make enough information freely
available to enable a user of the Health Care Innovations Exchange to
understand the elements of the innovation and, if desired, adopt the
innovation. This requirement does not exclude innovations that
incorporate commercial products or other materials for which there may
be a fee or licensing requirements. It is not necessary for all
information about the innovation to be publicly available, but AHRQ
will need access to information with sufficient detail to produce a
full profile.
The innovator (or a representative) is willing and able to participate
in the Health Care Innovations Exchange
A knowledgeable contact person must be available as a resource for
potential adopters of the innovation for at least one year. To minimize
the burden on innovators, the Health Care Innovations
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Exchange staff will facilitate communication among users and developers
of innovations. However, the participation of the innovator is
essential to the ability of the Health Care Innovations Exchange to
foster and promote the diffusion of innovations through social
learning, a central goal of this program. The level of participation
can vary according to innovator interest and schedules. Innovators will
be expected to respond to occasional inquiries and to join a Health
Care Innovations Exchange community of practice related to the
innovator's particular innovation, so that ideas can be shared in an
organized instructional fashion or setting.
AHRQ's Priorities
Specific populations. AHRQ is interested in identifying
innovations that will help to reduce disparities in health care and
health status. Populations of interest to AHRQ are low-income groups,
minority groups, women, children, the elderly, and individuals with
special health care needs.
Potential for high impact. The Health Care Innovations
Exchange will give publication or dissemination priority to innovations
that are likely to have a significant effect on the overall value of
health care. Impact may be defined in different ways, e.g., the
innovation may affect a broad population, address a critical health
issue, or demonstrate large cost savings.
Innovator interest in participating. All else being equal,
AHRQ will give priority to innovators who express a strong interest in
becoming involved in other activities of the Health Care Innovations
Exchange, such as participating in learning networks and providing
commentaries.
AHRQ-funded innovations. The Health Care Innovations
Exchange will aim to include effective innovations that are or were
funded by the Agency.
Dated: September 18, 2007.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. 07-4771 Filed 9-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M