HIGHLIGHTS
- AHRQ wants to disseminate the findings from its first EvidenceNOW initiative.
- Abt is collaborating with AHRQ and partners to identify materials to promote the findings.
- Abt and our partners are developing materials to support the uptake of EvidenceNOW findings.
PROJECT
EvidenceNOW Dissemination and Planning
The Challenge
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) 2015 EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health initiative funded regional cooperatives that help small primary care practices integrate evidence-based approaches for cardiovascular care. The initiative ended while AHRQ was expanding the EvidenceNOW model to other health topics. AHRQ needs help to compile and disseminate the rich findings and tools from Advancing Heart Health to communicate the potential for the EvidenceNOW model more broadly, and to use the findings to inform planning for AHRQ’s future primary care quality improvement (QI) work.
The Approach
Working collaboratively with AHRQ, Abt and our partners at Crosby Marketing review existing findings and results to identify materials for development and revision; use design and plain language principles to develop written material; and use best practices in website design, architecture, navigation, and engagement for redesign/reorganization recommendations. We actively engage key stakeholders and subject matter experts to review and provide feedback on material development.
The Results
To date, the team has:
- Created new materials for Tools for Change, including:
- Recruitment and Retention of Primary Care Practices in Quality Improvement Initiatives: A Toolkit.
- Identifying and Addressing Social Needs in Primary Care Settings.
- Integrating Cardiovascular Disease Risk Calculators into Primary Care.
- Sustainable funding for Primary Care Extension.
- Assessing and Addressing Burnout in Primary Care
- Engaged experts in the field to develop Obtaining and Using Data in Practice: A Handbook for Health IT Advisors and Practice Facilitators.
- Conducted reviews and user testing to recommend a redesigned and streamlined layout for the EvidenceNOW and National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research websites, to improve access to information and materials for key stakeholders.
- Created text and graphics to help tell the story of the EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health initiative.
- Designed a video series to tell the story of EvidenceNOW.
- Updated the Advancing Heart Health Fact Sheet with key findings.
- Conducted an environmental scan to advise development of a strategic plan for AHRQ’s future primary care QI efforts.