Frequently Asked Questions

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Senior Official for Privacy is responsible for maintaining this information.

For the system of record notices for AHRQ, go to: https://www.ahrq.gov/policy/electronic/privacy/index.html.

Many of the materials provided on the AHRQ website are Government works and therefore in the public domain within the United States only. Such materials may be used and reproduced without special permission within the United States, but citation as to source is requested.

Foreign countries and users who want to make electronic versions resident to their websites with global access need to request specific permission to use or reproduce these materials because the public domain does not extend outside the borders of the United States.

Some documents and products made available on the AHRQ website contain copyrighted materials, and further reproduction, in any form, print or electronic, is prohibited without the specific permission of copyright holders. Permission to reproduce copyrighted materials must be obtained directly from copyright holders and they may charge fees for the use of copyrighted materials.

It is the responsibility of the user to contact and obtain the needed copyright permissions prior to reproducing materials in any form. You may send your requests for permission to:

David Lewin
Copyright and Permissions Manager
Office of Communications
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Phone: (301) 427-1895
Fax: (301) 427-1873
Email: david.lewin@ahrq.hhs.gov

You may request permission for translation rights to:

David Lewin
Copyright and Permissions Manager
Office of Communications
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Phone: (301) 427-1895
Fax: (301) 427-1873
Email: david.lewin@ahrq.hhs.gov

Please provide the following information in your request:

• Requesting organization or individual.
• Permissions contact person.
• Title or URL for each document that you wish to translate/reproduce.
• Whether it will be in print or electronic form or both.
• Publication title and/or URL where the material will appear.
• Purpose of dissemination.
• Intended audience.
• Projected date of release.

We may grant you permission by return email and will provide you with the suggested citation and notify you of any other copyright constraints should they exist.

You can find information on AHRQ Men's Health program at Men's Health Topic Page.

You can find information on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Women's Health program at Women's Health Topic Page.

On December 6, 1999, the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999 reauthorized the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and directed the Agency, in carrying out its mission, to conduct and support research and evaluations, and to support demonstration projects, with respect to the delivery of health care in inner-city and rural areas (including frontier areas); and health care for priority populations, which include low income groups; minority groups; women; children; the elderly; and individuals with special health care needs, including individuals with disabilities and individuals who need chronic care or end-of-life health care.

To implement this directive and help achieve a broad portfolio of research, AHRQ implemented a policy on the Inclusion of Priority Populations in the health services research.

For more information, go to the notice in the NIH Guide.

The AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange is designed to support health care professionals in sharing and adopting innovations that improve health care quality. Sponsored by AHRQ, the Health Care Innovations Exchange offers:

• Detailed profiles of innovative activities and QualityTools.
• Contact information for innovators.
• Education, through perspectives, articles, videos and more on supporting innovation and implementing innovations effectively within your organization.

For more information, go to the Innovations Exchange website: https://www.innovations.ahrq.gov.

AHRQ's authorizing legislation and its Strategic Plan make children one of AHRQ's priority populations. AHRQ's mission for children is consistent with its overall mission: to support, conduct, and disseminate research that improves access to care and the outcomes, quality, cost, and use of health care services. To that end, AHRQ collaborates with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and external experts to fulfill a number of requirements under Title IV of CHIPRA:

• Identifying a core set of children's health care quality measures for voluntary use by Medicaid and CHIP programs (select for a list of final, posted measures and archived materials). For the latest version of the Child Core Set, visit Medicaid.gov.
• Implementing the CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures Program. The PQMP contributes to the CHIPRA-required identification of improved core children's health care quality measures for use by Medicaid and CHIP and other public and private programs, providers, plans, and patients.
• Evaluating CMS's Quality Demonstration project awards.
• Creating a model children's electronic health record (EHR) format.

In 1997, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) launched an initiative to promote evidence-based practice by establishing 12 Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs). These EPCs develop evidence reports and technology assessments on topics relevant to clinical, social science/behavioral, economic, and other health care organization and delivery issues.

There are currently 12 Evidence-based Practice Centers funded by AHRQ, based at academic medical centers and research institutions across the US and Canada.

For information about the current participating EPCs, including contact information, go to: the EPC page.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) launched an initiative to promote evidence-based practice in 1997 by establishing 12 Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) in universities and health-care related organizations. In 2014, AHRQ awarded 5-year contracts for EPC-V to 13 Evidence-based Practice Centers to continue this work. These EPCs develop evidence reports and technology assessments on topics relevant to clinical, social science/behavioral, economic, and other health care organization and delivery issues. These reports may be used for informing and developing coverage decisions, quality measures, educational materials and tools, clinical practice guidelines, and research agendas. The EPCs also conduct research on methodology of evidence synthesis.

With this program, AHRQ is a "science partner" with private and public organizations in their efforts to improve the quality, effectiveness, and appropriateness of health care by providing high- quality, unbiased syntheses of the evidence and facilitating the translation of evidence-based research findings.

For more information on the EPC program and participating Centers, go to the EPC Overview.