Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness (DEcIDE) Network for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (U19)

Notice Number: NOT-HS-13-004

Key Dates
Release Date: December 10, 2012
Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: Late winter, 2013
First Estimated Application Due Date: Spring, 2013
Earliest Estimated Award Date: Summer, 2013
Earliest Estimated Start Date: Summer, 2013

Related Announcements
NOT-HS-13-003

Issued by
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Purpose

AHRQ intends to publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to broadly solicit applications for research centers to participate in the “Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness” (DEcIDE) Network, a component of AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program (see http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/). AHRQ plans to continue the collaborative research network that it established in 2005 with a specific focus on comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research (CER/PCOR) and methodologies that are designed to support evidence-base decision-making in patient communities served by (1) Medicare; or (2) State Medicaid and/or Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP) programs. Overall FOA objectives are to conduct original research and appropriately disseminate the results to stakeholders.

The primary purposes of each DEcIDE Center will be to:

1) conduct a well-controlled, protocol-directed investigation on a specific CER/PCOR problem that stakeholders have identified or endorsed as critically important to informing decisions about the outcomes or effectiveness of healthcare interventions for Medicare, State Medicaid, or CHIP patients; and
2) analyze decision processes and study practical approaches for improving patient outcomes through the effective dissemination of the DEcIDE Center’s primary research findings to Medicare, State Medicaid, or CHIP stakeholders.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. 

The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is expected to be published in late winter 2013 with an expected receipt date in spring 2013.

This FOA plans to utilize the U19 activity code, which uses the PHS398 application form and paper submission of applications. Details of the planned FOA are provided below.

Research Initiative Details

This Notice encourages research institutions or consortiums of institutions with expertise in CER/PCOR to begin to consider applying for this new FOA. Applicants will need the infrastructure to conduct original CER/PCOR studies and appropriately disseminate the scientific evidence that is produced. In addition, applicants will need to form partnerships with stakeholders representing multiple perspectives, including such groups as patients, providers, payers, purchasers, administrators, policymakers, consumer organizations, community groups, professional societies, State Medicaid Medical Directors and/or regional Medicare Carriers.

Research encouraged in this initiative are CER/PCOR studies that address specific research questions that stakeholders have identified as a high priority for new research because the current evidence base is insufficient for action or decision making. Primary research questions and associated analytic plans are expected to be developed in consultation with stakeholder partners as part of the application submission. Emphasis in selecting a research problem should be placed on both the priority of the topic for stakeholders and the feasibility of the proposed analysis to provide results that are capable of appropriately informing decisions or actions. Among the resources that may be used to identify important gaps in the evidence base and facilitate discussions with stakeholders include knowledge gaps identified by a) systematic reviews, b) prior research, and c) AHRQ future research needs report series (see http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayProduct&productID=521). Interventional or observational CER/PCOR studies that assess the effects of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, behavioral, or health systems interventions on patient health outcomes will be considered under this FOA.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Scott R. Smith, PhD
Center for Outcomes and Evidence
AHRQ
301-427-1511
Scott.Smith@ahrq.hhs.gov