According to Monday's Federal Register, AHRQ has estimated a three-year cost of just over $1 million for its project, "Pilot Test of the Proposed Value and Efficiency Surveys and Communicating About Value Checklists." 

 

[See also: ONC, AHRQ target patient safety.]

 

Officials say the project will involve developing a value and efficiency survey for healthcare organizations as a quality improvement measure. The surveys will be based on previous models that have been successful in improving healthcare quality and patient safety. "These surveys will measure staff perceptions about what is important in their organization and what attitudes and behaviors related to value and efficiency are supported, rewarded and expected," the notice reads. 

 

The agency will also develop a "Communicating About Value" checklist for clinicians to use when having conversations with staff about patient value. According to the notice, "Better identification of patients' preferences is not only the right ethical thing to do but it also can reduce the cost of healthcare." 

 

AHRQ's quality improvement project will involve more than 5,000 respondents for surveys, interviews and pretests. 

 

A recent Institute of Medicine report estimated that some $756 billion has been essentially wasted in the healthcare industry. Officials say the AHRQ project is one small way to work toward reducing a portion of this cost.