What kind of outcomes does the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality aim to improve?

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) focuses on improving the overall quality of healthcare, which encompasses several critical dimensions including safety, efficiency, and effectiveness. This mission aligns with the organization's commitment to enhancing the healthcare system's performance and ensuring that patients receive safe, appropriate, and effective care.

Quality refers to the standard of care provided across various healthcare settings, emphasizing the need for improvements that lead to better health outcomes. Safety involves minimizing risks and harm during the delivery of healthcare services, while efficiency emphasizes the need to provide services in a manner that maximizes resource utilization without compromising care quality. Effectiveness concerns whether healthcare interventions achieve desired health outcomes in real-world settings.

By prioritizing these dimensions, the AHRQ seeks to create a comprehensive approach to healthcare improvement that transcends individual aspects, fostering a more holistic enhancement of patient care and health system performance.