Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) supports improvements in care delivery through the development and dissemination of evidence-based tools and resources designed specifically to address challenges and opportunities in primary care settings.
This online curriculum, developed by AHRQ, is designed to assist in the training of new practice facilitators as they develop the knowledge and skills needed to support meaningful improvement in primary care practices, including tools to reduce the complexity of health care, increase patient understanding of health information and enhance support for patients of all health literacy levels.
This resource also provides practical, troubleshooting insight to help organizations anticipate, avoid and address problems that can occur when implementing and using an electronic health record. Another component includes assessing patient experiences with health care providers and staff in doctors’ offices. Survey results can be used to improve care and equip consumers with information they can use to choose physicians and other health care providers. Care coordination resources and tools, within the toolkit, are comprised of six categories:
- Guidelines
- Practice Facilitation
- Health IT and Workflow
- Health Literacy
- Quality Improvement
- Patient Experience and Satisfaction
Primary care is a core component of the health care system and the largest platform of formal health care in the United States. More people seek primary care services than any other type of health care service. A strong primary care foundation is necessary to improve the quality of care, improve the health of people and populations and reduce the overall costs of health care.