[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22532-22534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08038]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Request for Information: AHRQ's Proposed Patient-Centered 
Outcomes Research Trust Fund Strategic Framework; Extension of Comment 
Period

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS.

ACTION: Request for information; notice of extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: In the Federal Register of February 18, 2022, the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announced that it was seeking 
input from the public on its proposed strategic framework for AHRQ's 
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund investments. This notice 
extends the comment period 35 days from April 19, 2022 to May 24, 2022. 
The subject matter content remains unchanged from the original notice.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 24, 2022. AHRQ 
will not respond individually to responders but will consider all 
comments submitted by the deadline.

ADDRESSES: Please submit all responses via email to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karin Rhodes, MD, Chief Implementation 
Officer, Email: [email protected], Telephone: 301-427-1364 or 240-
463-0872.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AHRQ is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 299b-37 
to broadly disseminate patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) 
findings, including incorporation of PCOR findings into health 
information technology focused on clinical decision support, and to 
train researchers in the methods used to conduct PCOR. PCOR compares 
the impact of two or more preventive, diagnostic, treatment, or 
healthcare delivery approaches on health outcomes, including those that 
are meaningful to patients.
    AHRQ's work under 42 U.S.C. 299b-37 is funded by the Patient-
Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (PCORTF), 26 U.S.C. 9511, which 
was established in 2010 and reauthorized in 2019. To learn more about 
the PCORTF, please visit: https://www.ahrq.gov/pcor/potential-of-the-pcortf/index.html.
    In response to the reauthorization of the PCORTF, AHRQ has 
developed a proposed strategic framework to guide future planning and 
evaluation of AHRQ's PCORTF investments (the strategic framework). The 
strategic framework is consistent with AHRQ's broader goal of improving 
the quality, safety, equity, and value of healthcare delivery.
    The proposed strategic framework identifies five priorities for 
improving healthcare delivery that are aligned with AHRQ's mission and 
that have the potential to improve outcomes that patients care about. 
These priorities are interrelated, and all contribute to achieving the 
proposed strategic framework's overall vision of equitable whole-person 
care across the lifespan. The proposed strategic framework is 
consistent with AHRQ's Congressional authorization for investments from 
the PCORTF and is aligned with national health priorities.
    The AHRQ PCORTF strategic framework includes a mission, vision, 
high-level priorities, desired outcomes, and cross-cutting strategies 
for advancing the desired outcomes. This framework is expected to 
describe and inform the portfolio of AHRQ PCORTF investments. AHRQ will 
use this broad framework to guide long-range planning and to guide the 
development of projects and investments.

[[Page 22533]]

    AHRQ PCORTF-funded projects will be connected to components and 
sub-components of the strategic framework. Use of the strategic 
framework is intended to ensure that AHRQ's investments are coherently 
connected and advance the overall vision of advancing equitable whole-
person care across the lifespan. The final strategic framework will 
also provide a basis for creating an evaluation framework, measuring 
the success of individual projects, and identifying the overall impact 
of AHRQ's PCORTF investments.
    AHRQ is seeking public comment on the proposed strategic framework 
for AHRQ's PCORTF investments.
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    AHRQ hopes to receive feedback from patients, healthcare 
professionals, community groups, employers, health services 
researchers, dissemination and implementation scientists, 
communications experts, representatives from health systems, public and 
private payers, and other stakeholders.
    The input received from this public comment period will be used in 
refining and finalizing the strategic framework. Based on the final 
strategic framework, AHRQ intends to develop an operational plan, which 
will include specific short- and long-term objectives and a formative 
and summative evaluation. The overall goal of AHRQ's planning process 
is to identify investments consistent with its PCORTF authorization 
that will have the greatest positive impact on health and healthcare.
    AHRQ is requesting information from the public regarding the 
following broad questions:
    1. AHRQ would like overall reactions to the strategic framework; is 
there any aspect of the framework that:
    a. Does not promote the vision of advancing equitable whole-person 
care across the lifespan?
    b. Does not address major challenges faced by the U.S. healthcare 
system?
    c. Could be improved (and if so, how)?
    2. AHRQ would like input on our (non-ranked) high-level priority 
areas:
    a. Do our proposed high-level priorities miss any areas of critical 
importance?
    b. Are any of the high-level priorities more important than others?
    3. AHRQ would like input on how to target investments within high-
priority areas. For example, should AHRQ focus on:
    a. Specific ages/stages or apply AHRQ's investments equally across 
the lifespan?
    b. Transitions in care?
    4. AHRQ would also appreciate suggestions for applying the 
strategic framework. For example:
    a. How can AHRQ improve the dissemination of patient-centered 
outcomes research evidence to decision-makers at the local, State, and 
Federal levels?
    b. What targeted investments could AHRQ make to sustain progress 
towards the strategic framework's desired outcomes?
    c. What AHRQ PCORTF investments could help improve healthcare 
provider trust, well-being, and retention?

[[Page 22534]]

    5. How can AHRQ have the greatest impact and success at achieving 
the vision and mission of the strategic framework?
    a. What is the most effective way to ensure the sustainability of 
initiatives that seek to enhance the integration of patient-centered 
outcomes research findings into practice?
    b. What complementary partnerships and collaborations (both public 
and private) would increase the impact of AHRQ's PCORTF investments?
    c. What will be the best way of measuring progress and the overall 
impact of AHRQ's PCORTF investments?
    6. Is there anything else you would like to share regarding the 
strategic framework?
    AHRQ is interested in all of the questions listed above, but 
respondents are welcome to address as many or as few as they choose and 
to address additional areas of interest not listed. It is helpful to 
identify which question a particular answer is a response to.
    This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed 
as a policy, solicitation for applications, or as an obligation on the 
part of the Government to provide support for any ideas identified in 
response to it. AHRQ will use the information submitted in response to 
this RFI at its discretion and will not provide comments to any 
responder's submission. However, responses to the RFI may be reflected 
in future solicitation(s) or policies. The information provided will be 
analyzed and may appear in reports. Respondents will not be identified 
in any published reports. Respondents are advised that the Government 
is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information 
received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any 
information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or 
sensitive information should be included in your response. The contents 
of all submissions will be made available to the public upon request. 
Materials submitted must be publicly available or able to be made 
public.

    Dated: April 11, 2022.
Marquita Cullom,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-08038 Filed 4-14-22; 8:45 am]
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