Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

AHRQ's earliest predecessor was the National Center for Health Services Research and Development, established in 1968 within the short-lived PHS Health Services and Mental Health Administration (HSMHA) during the 1966–1973 PHS reorganizations. It was established largely through the efforts of members of the NIH Division of Research Grants Health Services Study Section. The new center quickly absorbed the PHS Division of Chronic Diseases,{{Cite web |date=1998-03-12 |title=History of Health Services Research ProjectInterview with Kerr White |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/nichsr/white.html |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=U.S. National Library of Medicine}}{{Federal Register|33|9909}} which dated back to 1949,{{Cite web |date=2016-08-15 |title=Records of the Public Health Service [PHS], 1912-1968 |url=https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/090.html |access-date=2020-08-28 |website=National Archives |at=Sections 90.7, 90.8 |language=en}} in order to access the latter's larger budget.

When HSMHA was split up in 1973, the center was included in one of its successors, the Health Resources Administration. It was renamed the Bureau of Health Services Research that year, and then the National Center for Health Services Research in 1975.

In 1978 it was transferred to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. In 1985 it was renamed the National Center for Health Services Research and Health Care Technology Assessment.{{Cite web|date=2016-08-15|title=Records of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research|url=https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/510.html|access-date=2020-08-29|website=National Archives|language=en}}

In 1989, the agency became its own operating agency within PHS, and was renamed Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 ({{USStat|103|2159}}). However, AHCPR became controversial when it produced several guidelines that some thought would reduce medical drugs and procedures. This included concern from ophthalmologists on a cataract guideline and concern by the pharmaceutical industry over a reduction in the use of new drugs. When the agency produced a guideline that concluded that back pain surgery was unnecessary and potentially harmful, a lobbying campaign aided by Congressmen whose backs had been operated on changed the name of the agency and scaled back the guidelines program, which existed as the National Guideline Clearinghouse,Avorn J. Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, pp. 277–288. Random House. until it was defunded in 2018.

AHCPR was reauthorized December 6, 1999, as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) under the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999, which amended Title IX of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299 et seq).

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The 2015 budget for AHRQ was US$440 million,[https://www.hhs.gov/budget/fy2015/fy-2015-budget-in-brief.pdf 2015 Department of Health and Human Services Budget-in-Brief] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723144330/http://www.hhs.gov/budget/fy2015/fy-2015-budget-in-brief.pdf |date=2014-07-23 }}, pg 10, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Accessed 2015-07-14 $24 million less than FY 2014. The budget includes $334 million in Public Health Service (PHS) Evaluation Funds, a decrease of $30 million from FY 2014, and $106 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund, an increase of $13 million above FY 2014.

The FY 2015 budget is intended to ensure the Agency continues its progress on health services research to improve outcomes, affordability, and quality. The budget also supports the collection of information on health care spending and use through the [http://hcupnet.ahrq.gov/ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project] (HCUP) and [http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey] (MEPS).

In July 2018, the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) and the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC),{{cite web|url=https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/talkingquality/resources/initiatives/nqmc.html|title=National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC)|website=Ahrq.gov|access-date=26 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916022846/https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/talkingquality/resources/initiatives/nqmc.html|archive-date=16 September 2018|url-status=dead}} two longtime online resources from the AHRQ, were shut down because federal funding ceased to be available to them.{{cite web|url=https://www.aafp.org/news/government-medicine/20180627guidelineclearinghouse.html|title=AHRQ: National Guideline Clearinghouse to Shut Down July 16|website=Aafp.org|access-date=26 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/hhs-eliminates-20-years-evidence-based-medical-guidelines|title=HHS eliminates 20 years of evidence-based medical guidelines|date=12 July 2018|website=Healthcareitnews.com|access-date=26 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/federal-clinical-guidance-database-to-shut-down-because-of-funding-cuts|title=Federal clinical guidance database to shut down because of funding cuts|website=Healthdatamanagement.com|access-date=26 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/hit-programs-at-risk-as-ahrq-faces-elimination|title=HIT programs at risk as AHRQ faces elimination|website=Healthdatamanagement.com|access-date=26 November 2018}} Other stakeholders were exploring options for hosting the NGC {{cite web|url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/generalprofessionalissues/74153|title=AHRQ Shutters Guideline Site, But ECRI to Carry the Torch|date=20 July 2018|website=Medpagetoday.com|access-date=26 November 2018}}]; should that happen, it will return to the web.

Carolyn Clancy was the director from 2002 to 2014. Richard Kronick was director from 2013 to March 2016. Sharon Arnold was acting director from February to April 2016, replacing Richard Kronick in February 2016. Andrew Bindman was the director of AHRQ from April 2016 until January 2017. Prior to joining AHRQ, Bindman served as faculty of UCSF School of Medicine.{{Cite web |url=http://healthpolicy.ucsf.edu/people/andrew-bindman-md |title=Andrew Bindman, MD | Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies |access-date=2016-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630130847/http://healthpolicy.ucsf.edu/people/andrew-bindman-md |archive-date=2016-06-30 |url-status=dead }} Gopal Khanna was appointed as Agency director on May 9, 2017, and resigned on January 11, 2021, in response to the January 6 Capitol riot.{{cite web |last1=Schneider |first1=James |title=AHRQ director Gopal Khanna resigns in response to Capitol riot |url=https://fynefettle.com/ahrq-director-gopal-khanna-resigns-in-response-to-capitol-riot/ |website=Fyne Fettle |access-date=7 July 2021 |date=12 January 2021}} Following Khanna's resignation, deputy director David Meyers served as acting director from 2021 to 2022.{{cite web |title=David Meyers, M.D. Bio |url=https://www.ahrq.gov/cpi/centers/od/meyers-bio.html |website=www.ahrq.gov |access-date=7 July 2021 |language=en-us}} Robert Otto Valdez was appointed director on February 27, 2022.{{cite tweet|user=AHRQNews|number=1498049556445118466|author=Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality|title=Bob Valdez, Ph.D., has been appointed as #AHRQ's Director effective today|access-date=2022-02-28}}

The Agency has multiple offices and centers including the Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement (CEPI), the Center for Financing, Access and Trends, the Center for Delivery, Organization and Markets, the Center for Quality and Patient Safety, the Office of Management Services, the Office of Extramural Research and Priority Populations, and the Office of Communications. The Office of Communications was previously known as the Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer.{{cite web|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/04/15/2016-08679/statement-of-organization-functions-and-delegations-of-authority|title=Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority|date=15 April 2016|website=federalregister.gov}}

Within CEPI, the Evidence-Based Practice Centers{{Cite web |url=https://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/who-is-involved-in-the-effective-health-care-program1/about-evidence-based-practice-centers-epcs/ |title=About Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program |access-date=2016-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523035335/http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/who-is-involved-in-the-effective-health-care-program1/about-evidence-based-practice-centers-epcs/ |archive-date=2016-05-23 |url-status=dead }} (EPCs) develop evidence reports and technology assessments on topics relevant to clinical and other health care organization and delivery issues—specifically those that are common, expensive, and/or significant for the Medicare and Medicaid populations. With this program, AHRQ serves as a "science partner" with private and public organizations in their efforts to improve the quality, effectiveness, and appropriateness of health care by synthesizing the evidence and facilitating the translation of evidence-based research findings. Topics are nominated by Federal and non-Federal partners such as professional societies, health plans, insurers, employers, and patient groups.{{cite web|url=http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/overview/index.html|title=Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) Program Overview|publisher=Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality|access-date=29 April 2016}} {{PD-notice}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.ahrq.gov Official site]
• [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/agency-for-healthcare-research-and-quality Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality] in the Federal Register

{{HHS agencies}}

{{United States research agencies}}

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Category:Health care quality

Healthcare Research and Quality

Category:Medical and health organizations based in Maryland