In The News

Chartbook on Patient Safety

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Jeff Brady, M.D., M.P.H., director of AHRQ’s Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, and Karen Chaves, M.H.S, Director of AHRQ’s National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Program, highlight data in the  newly released Chartbook on Patient Safety. The Chartbook, based on AHRQ’s recently released 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, shows that the nation’s efforts to improve the safety of health care resulted in some encouraging overall gains between 2000 and 2016. However, there is much room for improvement, particularly for people of color and people in poor households. The Chartbook findings also identify ongoing safety concerns. Quantifying these challenges provides essential information to inform future quality improvement efforts.

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AHRQ Views—Blog Post: Preventing One Million Heart Attacks and Strokes: Start With the ABCS.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released today a final recommendation statement on behavioral weight loss interventions to prevent obesity-related morbidity and mortality in adults. The Task Force found that intensive behavioral interventions are beneficial for patients with obesity. To view the recommendation and the evidence on which it is based, please go here. The final recommendation statement can also be found in the September 18 online issue of JAMA.

Large NIH-funded study examined outcomes in United States and Australia

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New AHRQ Study To Explore Models for Making Evidence More Accessible and Usable

A new study initiated by AHRQ will help identify new models for disseminating and accessing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. The 12-month project is intended to build on AHRQ’s previous support for the National Guideline Clearinghouse. The study will explore innovative approaches to make evidence readily discoverable, accessible and usable to support improved patient outcomes. Viable models will be defined by commitment to core elements such as free public access, advertising-free content, upholding of copyright permissions and adherence to trustworthiness standards established by the Institute of Medicine. The study will also identify organizations with the potential to satisfy those standards.

Access more information on the Guidelines and Measures Updates page.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force posted today a final research plan on behavioral counseling interventions to promote a healthful diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults with cardiovascular risk factors. The draft research plan for this topic was posted for public comment from June 14 to July 11, 2018. The Task Force reviewed all of the comments that were submitted and took them into consideration as it finalized the research plan. To view the final research plan, please go here.

Focus. Care. Promote.

Heart attacks and strokes can be catastrophic, life-changing events that are all too common. Heart disease and stroke are preventable, yet they remain leading causes of death, disability, and healthcare spending in the US. Alarmingly, many of these events happen to adults ages 35-64—over 800,000 in 2016. Million Hearts® is a national initiative with a network of partners focused on preventing one million heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events by 2022. Coordinated actions by public health and healthcare professionals, communities, and healthcare systems can and will keep people healthy, optimize care, and improve outcomes within priority populations.

Key points:

• About 16 million heart attacks, strokes, and related heart-threatening events* could happen by 2022.
• 1 in 3 of these life-changing cardiovascular events happened in adults 35-64 years old in 2016.
• 80% of premature heart disease and strokes are preventable.

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New definition enhances ability to research and treat chronic pain.

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