AHRQ has published a Special Emphasis Notice (SEN) to support projects to generate new evidence on health information technology (IT) system safety. The standing R01 and R21 Funding Opportunity Announcements will support research regarding the safety of health IT. Patient Safety Organization involvement in R01 projects is strongly encouraged, as is industry partnership. AHRQ is interested in funding applications that will conduct research on safe health IT practices specifically related to the design, implementation, usability and safe use of health IT by all users, including patients. These projects would generate new evidence on safe health IT practices that could be used to inform health IT certification and other forms of policy guidance.
The purpose of the SEN is to inform the research community that in fiscal year 2015 the Health IT Portfolio at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) intends to support research regarding the safety of health IT systems. The notice was released on January 27, 2015.
Research Areas of Interest
While health IT has been shown to improve health care quality and safety, recent research suggests that it may also potentially cause new errors (i.e., technology–induced errors). In particular, the design (including usability) and implementation of health IT systems can impact how the systems are used and lead to errors. There is a need for improved approaches to health IT system design, usability, and implementation; to understand how users interact with the systems; to carefully monitor the systems’ use and performance post-implementation; and to understand how to address causes of errors. In addition, many have called for the use of user-centered design, and human factors and ergonomics, sociotechnical systems theory, human-computer engineering, usability engineering, and other related frameworks and approaches to improve health IT safety.
AHRQ is interested in funding applications that will conduct research on safe health IT practices specifically related to the design, implementation, usability, and safe use of health IT by all users, including patients. These projects would generate new evidence on safe health IT practices that could be used by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and others to inform health IT certification and other forms of policy guidance.
R01 projects should include personnel from health IT vendors and health care delivery organizations in the project personnel. Patient Safety Organization involvement in R01 projects is strongly encouraged, as is industry partnership.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Amy Lindinha
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Telephone:Â 301-427-1505
Email: HealthITFunding@ahrq.hhs.gov