AHRQ requests research on improving patient health

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality wants researchers to help identify the best treatments to improve patient health outcomes.

The agency has published a Request for Proposals updated April 15 for its new “Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness” (Decide) Research Network program. Six to 10 task orders totaling $4 million will be awarded under the program over three years, the notice states.

The contracts will go for development of scientific evidence on patient-centered outcomes of health care items and services, with a focus on comparative effectiveness research, the notice states. Proposals are due April 27.

“Activities performed by the Decide Research Network reflect the general principle that clinicians and patients should have the best available scientific evidence upon which to make individual decisions about health care items and services," according to a statement of work. "Notably, a hallmark of the Decide Research Network program is to provide high-quality research that contributes to the evidence base and serves to inform health care decision-making."

The task orders to be awarded may include original research, development of new scientific methods, interventional studies, stakeholder outreach, multi-center protocol development, data analysis and collaborative studies.