Frequently Asked Questions
CONTENTS
Submitting an Innovation
Subscribing to E-mail Updates
QualityTools
Other Topics
How are you defining innovation?
For the purposes of the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange, innovation refers to the implementation of new or altered products, services, processes, systems, organizational structures, or business models as a means of improving one or more domains of health care quality. However, based on our review of the literature on innovation and our consultations with experts in this area, AHRQ does not want to put a tight frame around this term. Innovation can mean different things to different people, depending on sector as well as organizational factors. An activity that is standard practice in one health care system may be cutting-edge for another. While we will impose certain criteria to determine what belongs in the Innovations Exchange, our goal is to cast a wide net that allows for differences across the health care industry.
How are the descriptions of innovations developed?
Our development process has several steps:
- Identification: The Editorial Teams search the published and gray literature, as well as the Internet, to identify activities that could be eligible for the Innovations Exchange. Innovations are also submitted by developers and researchers at various kinds of health care organizations.
- Assessment: The Editorial Teams assess each innovation against the inclusion criteria. If the innovation was submitted, the Teams typically respond with the results of this assessment within 1 month.
- Approval to proceed: If an innovation passes the criteria, the innovator is contacted. If willing to participate, the innovator is asked to confirm that he or she can speak on behalf of any collaborating organizations, and that the Innovations Exchange may link to any pertinent Web sites. The Teams do not proceed with the development of a description of the innovation until that confirmation is received.
- Development of Profile/Attempt: The Editorial Teams draft a description of the innovation based on available written information as well as input from the innovator.
- Innovator review: The Editorial Teams send a final draft to the innovator to review. Any comments received from the innovator are incorporated as appropriate.
- Review: Published innovations are reviewed annually to ensure that the descriptions, including any Web links, remain current.
How do I submit an innovation to the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange?
To submit an innovation, send an e-mail to info@innovations.ahrq.gov
with the following information:
- Name of the main organization, along with any other organizations that are participating in the innovation.
- Name and title of the submitter.
- Contact information for the submitter (e-mail address and phone number).
- Brief description of the innovation.
- Brief description of results, including any impact on the delivery of patient care.
- Description of the health care setting (e.g., hospital, community clinic, nursing home).
- Description of the population on which the innovation is focused, if any (e.g., the elderly, children, racial or ethnic group).
- Any funding sources for the innovation.
Because this is an ongoing initiative, there is no deadline for submitting innovations.
Please use the words "Innovation Submission" in the subject line. An Editorial Team will review your submission and follow-up with you.
To learn more about submitting an innovation, go to Share Your Innovations.
How do I submit information that is not in an electronic format?
If you have printed information about your innovation, you can fax it to us at 301-610-4950. Please address the fax to Innovations Exchange Editorial Teams, Westat, put the words "Innovation Submission" in the subject line, and include your contact information.
You may also mail information to Russ Mardon, RA-1140, Westat, 1650 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850.
How do you decide whether to include an innovation in the Health Care Innovations Exchange?
The Editorial Teams use six criteria to determine whether an innovation is eligible for a profile in the Innovations Exchange:
- The innovation focuses directly or indirectly on patient care.
- The innovation is intended to improve one or more domains of health care quality.
- The activity is truly innovative in the context of its setting or target population.
- Information about the innovation is publicly available.
- The innovator (or a representative) is willing and able to contribute information to the Health Care Innovations Exchange.
- There is reason to believe that this innovation will be effective.
Innovations that satisfy all but the last criterion on effectiveness may be presented as Innovation Attempts.
To learn more about the criteria, go to How Innovations Are Selected.
What are the two ways in which innovations are presented on this site?
The Innovations Exchange encompasses clinical and non-clinical activities and tools that vary in their degree of novelty, their effect on quality, and their level of supporting evidence. Information about these innovations is presented as Innovation Profiles and Innovations Attempts:
- Innovation Profiles are descriptions of innovations that can demonstrate some level of success. Each Profile lays out the problem that the innovation is meant to address, how the innovation works, what results it achieved, and how the innovator first developed and implemented it. The Profile also offers lessons learned by the innovator, including guidance on getting started with the innovation and sustaining it over time.
- Innovation Attempts are descriptions of projects that did not succeed as planned because they could not be implemented, could not be sustained, did not achieve desired results, or had unexpected negative consequences. We are presenting these efforts in the hope that health care organizations can learn from and build upon that experience. Each Attempt includes information on the problem the innovator hoped to address, how the innovation works, its results, and the lessons learned by the innovator.
What are the priority areas for the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange?
The Innovations Exchange is interested in all innovations that have a direct or indirect impact on patient care or service delivery. However, the Editorial Teams are particularly interested in innovations that address certain priorities established by AHRQ. These priorities include the following:
- Innovations that focus on reducing disparities in care or improving the health status of vulnerable populations.
- Innovations with the potential for high impact.
- Innovations submitted by someone with a strong interest in participating in all activities of the Health Care Innovations Exchange.
- Innovations developed as a result of AHRQ funding.
Learn more about AHRQ's priorities.
What do I do if I am not sure whether my innovation will be of interest to you?
We strongly encourage you to send us an e-mail with some information about your innovation so that we can assess its fit with the Health Care Innovations Exchange. If the Editorial Teams need more information to make a decision, someone will follow up with you.
How do I sign up for your e-mail list for periodic updates?
To sign up, go to Contact Us/Subscribe, and select "Sign up for E-mail Updates". Subscribers to this list receive announcements about new innovations, new QualityTools, new educational materials, and upcoming events.
What will you do with the information I provide when I sign up for one of your services?
You do not have to give us personal information to visit our Web site or subscribe to our e-mail list or RSS service. We will keep your e-mail address confidential and will use it only to send you information about the Health Care Innovations Exchange.
I am currently receiving e-mails from the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange. How do I cancel?
To cancel your subscription, go to Contact Us/Subscribe and select the Unsubscribe link; then enter your e-mail address and select the Unsubscribe button. You will receive a message confirming your decision.
I would like to submit a new tool to QualityTools. What information should I send?
To submit a tool, send an e-mail to info@innovations.ahrq.gov with the following information:
- Name of the tool.
- Developer organization.
- Sponsor organization.
- Hyperlink to tool.
- Brief description.
- Release date.
Please include your name and telephone number so that we can follow up with you for more information if needed.
What criteria do you use to select tools for the QualityTools database?
QualityTools includes a variety of materials. Examples of tools include worksheets, questionnaires, fact sheets, databases, benchmarks, software, planning resources, calculators, algorithms, checklists, and brochures.
To be included in QualityTools, a tool must meet the following requirements:
- It must be an information resource designed for health care professionals (providers, purchasers, payers, and policy makers) or patients to use to improve decision making and/or health care quality.
- It must be freely available (i.e., without a fee or charge) in an electronic format via the Internet. This includes electronic abstracts and/or summaries of free tools that must be ordered or require free registration to get the actual tool.
- It must be developed and/or sponsored by an identifiable agency, organization, or committee.
- If the tool is derived from an evidence-based practice guideline, it must be associated with the most current version of the guideline.
How can I find tools on a specific topic?
There are three ways to find tools on a specific topic:
- Go to the QualityTools page and select the "Browse QualityTools" link. You will be able to use one or more categories of topics to find QualityTools only.
- Enter terms into the Search box available on every page. The results will show tools as well as innovations that meet your search terms.
- Go to the Browse the Health Care Innovations Exchange page and select a subject. The results will show tools as well as innovations that address the selected subject.
What is the contact information for QualityTools?
To contact QualityTools, send an e-mail to info@innovations.ahrq.gov.
If you would like to provide contact information for QualityTools, please include the QualityTools Web address, http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/qualitytools, and the general e-mail, info@innovations.ahrq.gov.
How can I find out about new tools that are published in QualityTools?
You can register to receive regular updates on tools (and innovations) that are added to this Web site. To subscribe to this service, go to the Contact Us/Subscribe page.
Why should I post a comment?
The Innovations Exchange is intended to serve as a virtual community that brings together
individuals and organizations that have implemented and/or are considering implementing
innovations in health care delivery. The interactive comment feature is an important part of
meeting this goal. By definition, most health care innovations have been adopted by a relatively
small number of organizations. Consequently, limited information is typically available on how to
develop, implement, and operate these programs effectively. By posting comments on specific
innovations, users of the Innovations Exchange can enjoy the benefits of networking by sharing
experiences, lessons learned, and other perspectives. Users are invited to submit comments on any
innovation profiled on the Innovations Exchange. Comments can touch on a variety of topics, including
but not limited to the following:
- Questions (or responses to questions) about how an innovation works, including those related to planning and development, implementation, ongoing execution, results achieved, or other aspects of the innovation.
- Additional resources that could help with implementation of an innovation (e.g., tools, references, funding sources).
- Ideas about other contexts or settings in which the innovation could be helpful.
- Lessons learned related to adopting or sustaining the innovation, including potential concerns, pitfalls, and red flags.
How does the review process for submitted comments work?
Submitted comments are reviewed by project staff to ensure that they are appropriate;
this review process will typically take place within one working day of submission. While we expect
to post nearly every comment, reviewers will not post comments that:
- May be perceived as a personal attack.
- Use inappropriate or unprofessional language.
- Appear to be commercial in nature.
- Are unclear or seemingly unrelated to the innovation.
Anyone submitting a comment should provide a valid e-mail address to facilitate further communication. If for some reason we cannot accept a comment as submitted, the reviewer will attempt to contact the submitter and offer suggested revisions to address our concerns.
I want to share this information with my colleagues. Are there any reasons why I can't do that?
Because this is a U.S. Federal Government Web site, all of the descriptive information in this site about innovations and tools is considered to be in the public domain. The information may be shared freely as long as it is appropriately cited. (Refer to the question below about citing information from this resource.) In addition, none of the descriptive information about innovations and tools on this Web site may be used for commercial and/or product endorsement purposes.
However, while all of the tools and many of the innovations described in this site are available on the Internet, not all of them are in the public domain and available for distribution.
- Innovations and tools developed by the U.S. Federal Government are in the public domain and not protected by copyright; therefore, they may be disseminated with the appropriate citation.
- Innovations and tools developed by non-Federal (private) developers may or may not be in the public domain. Innovations and tools that are not in the public domain may be protected by copyright, which means that you will need the developer's permission prior to dissemination. To contact the developer of an innovation, start with the contact information provided under "Contact The Innovator" in the "What They Did" section of the Innovation Profile or Attempt. For the QualityTools, please identify the developer through the tool's Web site.
How do I cite the information found on this site (i.e., an Innovation Profile/Attempt or a Tool Summary)?
The suggested citation format for an Innovation Profile or Attempt is:
AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange. Innovation Profile/Attempt: [insert title of profile/attempt] ([insert developer organization name]). In: AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange [Web site]. Rockville (MD): [cited YYYY Mon DD]. Available: http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov.
Example: AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange. Innovation Profile: E-mail Enhances Families' Communication With and Access to Pediatrician (Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh). In: AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange [Web site]. Rockville (MD): [cited 2008 Jul 31]. Available: http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov.
The suggested citation format for a QualityTools Tool Summary is:
QualityTools. Tool summary: [insert title of summary] ([insert developer organization name]). In: QualityTools [Web site]. Rockville (MD): [cited YYYY Mon DD]. Available: http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/qualitytools.
Example: QualityTools. Tool summary: Child Health Guide (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality). In: QualityTools [Web site]. Rockville (MD): [cited 2008 Jul 31]. Available: http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/qualitytools.
How can another health-related Web site establish a link to the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange?
The Health Care Innovations Exchange encourages health care Web sites to establish links from their pages to www.innovations.ahrq.gov. If you would like to link to this site, please:
Please note that all external links from commercial sites to our Federal Government site should be clearly identified as such. Our Agency cannot endorse, nor appear to endorse, commercial services or products. Links should not be displayed in any manner that would imply such an endorsement.
What browsers work with the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange site?
The Health Care Innovations Exchange Web site is designed to be available and compatible with a wide variety of browsers, including:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 (Windows)
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (Windows)
- Mozilla Firefox 2.0+ (Windows)
- Safari 3.0+ (Macintosh)
What is the contact information for the AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange?
E-mail: info@innovations.ahrq.gov
Fax: 301-610-4950
Mail: Health Care Innovations Exchange, RA-1140, Westat, 1650 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850
I am a patient and have a health-related question. Whom can I contact?
The Health Care Innovations Exchange does not have medical professionals or physicians on staff to answer patients' questions and/or to advise on health-related issues or experiences. If you have a question about health care, please contact your doctor or visit www.MedlinePlus.gov.
Last updated: May 19, 2008.
