sábado, 18 de agosto de 2012

AHRQ Innovations Exchange: Inclusion Criteria for Health Care Policy Innovations

AHRQ Innovations Exchange


Inclusion Criteria for Health Care Policy Innovations

  • The innovation involves health care policy.

    Health Care Policy Innovation. A policy is a rule, regulation, directive, incentive, deterrent, or other approach for motivating changes in the behavior of individuals, social groups, or organizational entities. A health care policy does not have to directly address patient care; however it must have important implications for the delivery of patient care—whether preventive, emergent, chronic, acute, rehabilitative, long-term, or end-of-life. Policies that involve structural changes to health care delivery systems, workforce, financing, or the physical environment qualify only if they influence the delivery of health care services.
  • The innovation aims to improve one or more domains of health care quality.

    Accepted Health Goal. The innovation must be designed to improve one or more specific measurable indicators of quality in the domains defined by the Institute of Medicine (effectiveness, efficiency, equity, patient-centeredness, safety, and timeliness); or that are outlined in the National Quality Strategy aims (better care, healthy people/healthy communities, and affordable care). The indicators do not have to come from an established measure set, but they must be clearly defined and relevant to the quality issue the innovation addresses. Also, the innovation must not contradict established standards of evidence-based care.
  • The policy is truly innovative in the context of its setting or target population.

    Health Care Policy Innovation. A health care policy innovation refers to the creative implementation of new or altered policies to improve health care delivery. In this context, innovations are policies that are generally perceived as new in a particular setting or for a particular population relative to the usual policies. In addition to brand-new ideas, we will consider policies adapted from other industries, transferred from one setting or market segment to another, drawn from settings in other countries, or applied to a new or different population. We will also consider multifaceted policy approaches, in which the fact that policies are combined is what is innovative.
  • There is reason to believe that the innovation will be effective.

    Health Care Policy Innovation. There must be some evidence that the innovation is likely to achieve its goals, in terms of health outcomes or behaviors, or effects on other activities that are related to the defined objectives. Progress should be measured using clearly defined, relevant indicators. Indicators may reflect changes in delivery of care (health care services), as well as changes in ultimate outcomes (health). If data are unavailable, limited, or lacking in methodological rigor, anecdotal reports of the impact of the innovation may suffice.
  • Information about the innovation is publicly available.

    Enough information must be freely available so that a user of the Innovations Exchange can understand the elements of the innovation and make a decision about adopting it. This requirement does not exclude innovations that incorporate commercial products or other materials for which there may be a fee or licensing requirements. All information about the innovation doesn’t have to be publicly available, but the Editorial Team will need access to information with sufficient detail to produce a comprehensive description.
  • The innovator (or a representative) will contribute information to the Innovations Exchange.

    A person knowledgeable about the innovation must participate in interviews with the Editorial Team and share available written information about the innovation. This person must also confirm that he or she can speak on behalf of any collaborating organizations and provide the name of a contact person who will be listed in the innovation description.

Exclusion Criteria

Innovations that fall into any one of these categories will be excluded from the Innovations Exchange.
  • Product or Technical Innovations. These innovations include new drugs or devices, software design and development, or durable medical equipment or supplies. Although advances in these areas may be innovative, to be eligible for inclusion in the Innovations Exchange, there must be a demonstrated connection to an innovative service delivery change.
  • Educational Innovations. Innovations such as curriculum redesigns, continuing education certification, or the use of simulators or other technologies for training are outside the scope of the Innovations Exchange.
  • Clinical Innovations. Pure clinical innovations such as new surgical, medical, or dental therapies or professional techniques are outside the scope of the Innovations Exchange.
  • Health Care Policy Innovations Without Any Evidence of Effect. An innovation without quantitative or qualitative support for a link between the innovation and targeted health care outcomes or processes is outside the scope of the Innovations Exchange.

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