PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Quality of health care is poorer than it should be, and progress in improving health care has been limited. Despite many promising findings from initiatives to date, quality improvement research is a relatively new field that scarcely yields consistent results. Flaws in the currently used research literature and methods have been identified, but ways to address these flaws have not yet been agreed on. Thus, while general recognition of the need for advancements in quality improvement research and research methods exists, a common understanding regarding types of changes needs to be developed and acted upon.

The Institute of Medicine’s Forum on the Science of Health Care Quality Improvement and Implementation brings together leaders in quality improvement research; foundations; federal agencies sponsoring and conducting such research; the academic community; medical journals; and implementers of quality improvement to provide a structured opportunity to address these issues. The goals of the forum are to (1) advance the understanding of the value and appropriate role of research philosophies, cultures, and methods, and (2) develop greater awareness and support for appropriate approaches and methods by key stakeholder groups.

The Forum on the Science of Health Care Quality Improvement and Implementation includes sponsorship from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and the Veterans Administration.

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