[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 15846-15847] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-8513] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Health Care Policy and Research AHCPR Health Services Research AGENCY: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (ANCPR) announces release of a Program Announcement of its broad priority interests for extramural grants for research, demonstration, dissemination, and evaluation projects to: (1) Support Improvements in Health Outcomes; (2) Strengthen Quality Measurement and Improvement, including the use of evidence-based practice information and tools; and (3) Identify Strategies to Improve Access and Foster Appropriate Use and Reduce Unnecessary Expenditures, including research on the organization, financing, and delivery of health care and the characteristics of primary care practice. The Program Announcement (PA) of ongoing AHCPR research interests was published in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guide for Grants and Contracts on March 26, 1998. The PA is available from AHCPR's Website. (See ADDRESSES.) Eligible applicants include nonprofit domestic and foreign organizations including universities, clinics, units of State and local governments, and foundations. For-profit organizations may participate as members of consortia or subcontractors. DATES: Applications may be submitted at the standard receipt dates for new PHS research grants: February 1, June 1, and October 1, annually. See Application and Instructions, form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95). ADDRESSES: Interested applicants should obtain application materials, which include the PA, from the AHCPR contractor: Equals Three Communications, Inc.; 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 200; Bethesda, MD 20814-3015; Telephone: 301/656-3100; FAX: 301/652-5264. The PA is available through AHCPR's Web site (http://www.ahcpr.gov under Funding Opportunities) and from the electronic NIH Guide at http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html). It can also be obtained through AHCPR InstantFAX at 301/594-2800. To use the 24-hour InstantFAX, callers must use a FAX machine with a telephone handset, and follow the voice instructions. For questions about this service, call Judy Wilcox, Office of Health Care Information, at 301/594-1364, ext. 1389. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AHCPR mission is to support and conduct research to improve the outcomes, quality, access to, and cost and utilization of health care services. AHCPR achieves its mission through health services research designed to (1) improve clinical practice, (2) improve the health care system's ability to provide access to and deliver high quality, high-value health care, and (3) provide policy makers with the ability to assess the impact of system changes on outcomes, quality, access, cost, and use of health care services. [[Page 15847]] The AHCPR research agenda is designed to be responsive to the needs of consumers, patients, clinicians and other providers, plans, purchasers, and policy makers for evidence-based information which they need in order to improve health care quality and outcomes, control costs, and assure access to needed services. The PA sets out priority interests in research, demonstration, dissemination and evaluation projects under broad program areas as follows: (1) Support improvements in health outcomes. AHCPR seeks to support research to better understand the outcomes of health care, at both the clinical and systems levels; and, in particular, what works, for whom, when, and at what cost. (2) Strengthen quality measurement and improvement. This area of interest includes research on the use of evidence-based practice information. (3) Identify strategies to improve access, foster appropriate use and reduce unnecessary expenditures. This area includes research on access, use, and cost of health services; organization, financing, and delivery; and primary care practice. AHCPR has identified as a special focus of research across the major program areas, health issues related to priority populations, identified as minority populations, women, and children. The PA also identifies as emerging research interests two additional areas that are becoming increasingly important in today's market-driven health care delivery system. These are research on methodologic advances in health services research, especially cost- effectiveness analysis, and research on ethical issues across the spectrum of health care delivery. The AHCPR is encouraging research using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), developed by AHCPR with collaboration by the National Center for Health Statistics, and other AHCPR-supported data bases such as the Health Care Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP- 3). Also encouraged are partnerships with private and public organizations to facilitate development and sharing of scientific knowledge and resources, including cost-sharing mechanisms; projects that will produce results within 2 to 3 years; and results that can be integrated rapidly into practice or policy. Potential applicants and other interested organizations and individuals should obtain a copy of the complete PA for details on AHCPR interests, program contracts, application procedures, and review and award criteria. Dated: March 26, 1998. John M. Eisenberg, Administrator. [FR Doc. 98-8513 Filed 3-31-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4160-90-M