The work of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is an invaluable resource for us at CPEHN and for everyone working on achieving equity in health. As the leading federal agency for health services research, AHRQ’s annual National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports provide some of the most comprehensive data available on how our health care system is performing, particularly in regards to communities of color.
But AHRQ is in peril. The recent appropriations bill from the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee has proposed to eliminate AHRQ. If this legislation advances, we would be left without a source of data that is essential to efforts to reduce inequities, improve quality, and reduce costs in our health care system.
But all hope is not lost for AHRQ! There is still time for you to take action and stop this legislation. You can share your support through this useful advocacy tool on AcademyHealth’s website. Every voice counts and your support could help save this vitally important resource.
The data available through AHRQ informs our work at CPEHN on an almost daily basis, and we have a number of AHRQ resources available on our website. AHRQ helps us identify inequities in a variety of health care quality measures, including:
- Preventable diabetes-related amputations
- Preventable hospital admissions for asthma
- Hospitalizations for immunization-preventable influenza
In order to effectively develop strategies to reduce inequities, it is first necessary to identify those inequities. AHRQ’s work has formed the basis for so many great efforts to improve our health care system, and we cannot afford to lose such a valuable resource. Please take the time to support AHRQ today.
You can also follow #saveAHRQ on Twitter to see how people across the country are rallying in support:
AHRQ research focuses on making care more accessible, safe, effective and efficient http://t.co/X2d9tevJMW #SaveAHRQ
— AcademyHealth (@AcademyHealth) June 19, 2015
"We need the products and the intellectual processes of AHRQ today more than ever." Read more here: http://t.co/0jgEMJKT7o #SaveAHRQ
— AcademyHealth (@AcademyHealth) June 19, 2015
Don't let Congress de-fund the federal agency responsible for research on improving the U.S. health care delivery system. #saveAHRQ
— UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (@UCLAchpr) June 19, 2015
Without #AHRQ we won’t be able to measure and improve #health disparities as well as outcomes. All of us will suffer. #SaveAHRQ
— Brian E. Dixon (@dpugrad01) June 19, 2015
Personal note: One of my brilliant friends is able to afford grad school with help of @AHRQNews. If we don't #SaveAHRQ, that's out of reach.
— nina bhattacharya (@onlynina) June 18, 2015