[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]


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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.

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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