Presentations 

Published papers and material from public presentations using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Quality Indicators (QIs) and of potential interest to users are available here. Some of the files below are in PDF format, help with PDF files is available.

AHRQ Annual Meeting and AHRQ Quality Indicators User Meeting – September 26-28, 2007; Bethesda, MD

The AHRQ QI reporting template provided information on a new AHRQ QI user tool for web-based comparative reporting that is currently undergoing review under the National Quality Forum consensus development process.

The Overview of the Quality Indicators session included presentations on the research, rational and processes used to develop indicators, tools for interpretation and use and information on the impact of coding practices on the indicators. The power point slides from these presentations are found below:

• Introduction
– Overview of Quality Indicator Modules, Laura Puzniak
• Research, rational and processes used to develop indicators
– Neonatal Development Process, Patrick Romano
– Establishing the Validity of the AHRQ QI/NQF process: Validation Pilot, Jeff Geppert
• Tools for the interpretation and use
– QI Mapping Tool, Melanie Chansky
• Information on how ICD-9 coding practices impacts the indicators
– Expectations of next release including impact of MS-DRGs, Sheryl Davies

In conjunction with the AHRQ Annual meeting, the 2007 AHRQ QI users meeting was convened. The focus of the user meeting was current validation efforts including collaborative institution based projects, panel and workgroup reviews, evidence-based literature, and the AHRQ QI Validation pilot. The power point slides from these presentations are found below:

• Collaborative Validation Efforts
– Examining Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in Academic Medical Centers, a UHC Benchmarking Project; Joanne Cuny
– Validating the Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) in the VA: a Multi-Faceted Approach; Amy Rosen
• Panel and workgroup reviews
– AHRQ IQI Panel Reviews , Sheryl Davies
• Current Evidence
– AHRQ Quality Indicators: Recent validation efforts, Patrick Romano
• Validation Pilot
– AHRQ Quality Validation Pilot Process and Tools, Pat Zrelak
– Validation Pilot Partner Experience: Patient Safety A Regional Perspective In Arizona, Beverlee Hall
– Lessons Learned, Laura Puzniak

AHRQ Quality Indicators Users Meeting - September 2005, Rockville MD.

• New Pediatric Indicator Module
• Applying the AHRQ QI to improve population health
• Using the AHRQ QI as a catalyst for quality improvement
• Implications of ICD-9-CM coding practices
• Use of the AHRQ QI in the National Healthcare Quality Reports
• Methods for creating aggregate performance indices
• Considerations in using the AHRQ QI for comparative reporting and pay-for-performance

PowerPoint slides from 20 presentations are available for download.

Public Reporting and Quality-Based Purchasing: The Evidence Base and Practical Tools -- October 2004 Web Conferences

Where is the value in health care purchasing? Can hospital quality be measured well enough to link payment to quality? As health care costs continue to escalate and shortfalls remain in health care quality, employers and other purchasers are pursuing “quality-based purchasing” strategies. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is sponsoring two interactive web conferences in October that will help purchasers, plans and providers understand the evidence base for quality-based purchasing and public reporting and increase their understanding of an important tool set available to assist with evaluations of health care quality.

Event #1: “Paying for Performance”
Thursday, October 21, 2004
The first conference in the series features a current look at the evidence base for quality-based purchasing with an emphasis on practical implications for purchasers and providers.

Event #2: “Using Quality Indicators for Hospital-Level Public Reporting & Payment”
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
The second conference in the series will provide guidance on the benefits and limitations of using AHRQ’s quality indicators for public reporting of quality or to inform purchasing decisions.

The Buy-Right for Health Care Quality Series will help purchasers make well-informed decisions about whether and how to pursue quality-based purchasing. The series will also help plans and providers prepare for and participate in quality-based purchasing and public reporting initiatives.  

• The Buy-Right for Health Care Quality Series Brochure
  • PDF format — 4.6 MB | (PDF help)

For slides and more information about these web conferences, please visit the conference website at: www.academyhealth.org/ahrq/valuepurchasing.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Data Initiative has kindly provided access to their guide designed to assist users in interpreting results from the Inpatient Quality Indicators.

• Inpatient Quality Indicators, Interpretive Guide
  • PowerPoint® format — 140 KB
  • PDF format — 191 KB | (PDF help)

This chartbook is the first comprehensive national report on the quality of pediatric care. The researchers reviewed over 500 studies and synthesized this information into 40 charts that provide a portrait of the current state of pediatric health care.

• Quality of Health Care for Children and Adolescents: A Chartbook

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