Nicole V. Baptista
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is soliciting grant applications from universities, hospitals, and other organizations that will study successful efforts to deliver primary care through the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model. According to the funding opportunity announcement, AHRQ is interested in research that will “identify, describe and disseminate the best methods for transforming the structure, characteristics and function of primary care so that practices can improve quality, reduce costs, and better satisfy the needs of patients and families.”
The research funded through these grants aims to validate that healthcare quality, as evident through quantifiable changes in process and outcome measures, has improved due to transformation of a traditional medical practice into a PCMH.
Investigators will study various aspects of the transformation, including how to implement changes; how transformation affects the cost of care; and how becoming a PCMH affects patient and provider satisfaction and experiences. In addition, investigators will study which organizational and contextual factors within practices have influenced the success.
AHRQ will dedicate $3.2 million in fiscal year 2010 to fund 10 to 12 grants in response to this funding opportunity announcement. However, the ultimate number of grants depends on the size of each award, availability of funds, and the number of meritorious applications submitted. Applications may be up to two years in duration with a budget supported by AHRQ not to exceed $300,000 total annual costs to the government.