Notice Number: NOT-HS-10-003
Key Dates
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Issued by
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (http://www.ahrq.gov)
Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations
Background
On February 4, 2009, President Obama signed Public Law 111-3, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). Title IV of CHIPRA focuses on strengthening quality of care and health outcomes. One component of Title IV requires establishment of a pediatric quality measures program to achieve the following: improve and strengthen the initial core child health care quality measures established by the Secretary under (42 U.S.C. 1301 Sec. 1139A(a)); expand on existing pediatric quality measures used by public and private health care purchasers and advance the development of such new and emerging quality measures; and increase the portfolio of evidence-based, consensus pediatric quality measures available to public and private purchasers of children’s healthcare services, providers, and consumers. The measures that are developed or enhanced through this program are integral to the improved core pediatric healthcare quality measure set required to be available by January 1, 2013. CHIPRA allows the use of grants and contracts to achieve these aims. Through a memorandum of understanding between AHRQ and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), AHRQ is the lead agency, working collaboratively with CMS, implementing the pediatric quality measures program.
With this notice, AHRQ is announcing the Agency’s intention to support a new research and demonstration initiative using cooperative agreements. A broad range of applicants is eligible to apply for these research and demonstration cooperative agreements.
AHRQ will solicit applications for the development of new measures and the enhancement of existing measures, as well as the development and testing of methodological enhancements for measures and data collection. Priorities for the program are to be established through a public process involving multiple stakeholders, as required by law. Successful applicants will work on priority areas that correspond to their capacity for measure development and enhancement, as demonstrated in their applications. Successful applicants will also use a set of measure criteria to be determined through an HHS expert process that will be fully transparent to the public. The measure criteria will build on existing criteria for developing and endorsing healthcare quality measures.
AHRQ anticipates grant and contract solicitations to be published in November 2009, with funding to commence in late federal fiscal year 2010.
Inquiries
Until the solicitation is published, AHRQ cannot provide additional information on its contents. Direct any general comments to:
CHIPRQ Quality Measures Program
Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, MD 20850
E-mail address: CHIPRAqualitymeasures@ahrq.hhs.gov.
and Human Services (HHS)
