The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a funding opportunity announcement titled "Transforming Primary Care Practice (R18)," as well as two task order notifications for: "Comprehensive EPC Comparative Effectiveness Reviews for Effective Health Care" and "EPC Methods Research and Resource Activities for Evidence Synthesis." Information about each is posted below.

• Grant: Transforming Primary Care Practice (R18)
  This funding opportunity announcement issued by AHRQ solicits grant applications from organizations that propose systematic studies of ongoing, successful efforts to transform the delivery of primary care in the U.S. The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) has been proposed by a broad coalition of providers, employers, insurers and others as a model for improving primary care in the U.S., and numerous health care systems and medical groups are currently attempting to transform their primary care practices into PCMHs. These attempts go beyond incremental quality improvement activities and aim toward whole practice redesign.  The research funded through this announcement will first validate that healthcare quality, as reflected in quantifiable changes in process and outcome measures, has in fact improved subsequent to practice transformation into a PCMH.  Investigators will then study in detail how the transformation occurred and its impact on costs of care and actual patient and provider experiences/satisfaction.  In addition, investigators will study the organizational and contextual factors within practices that have influenced the success of these efforts.  AHRQ is interested in research that will identify, describe and disseminate the best methods for transforming the structure, characteristics and function of primary care so that practices can improve quality, reduce costs and better satisfy the needs of patients and families.
  
  A total of $3.2 million is available annually to support projects funded under this FOA.  AHRQ anticipates issuing 10-12 awards, although the number of awards will be contingent upon the size of each award, availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.
  
  To view this funding opportunity, click here.
  
  
• Task Order Notification: Comprehensive EPC Comparative Effectiveness Reviews for Effective Health Care
  AHRQ intends to award eight competitive task orders for the Evidence Based Practice Centers. The purpose of the task orders is to create a core group of Evidence Based Practice Centers to focus on a comprehensive approach to comparative effectiveness review (CER) and evidence synthesis. Awardees will 1) Develop and refine topics for CERs that are informative to stakeholder decisional needs; 2) Conduct CERs with systematic and transparent methods; and 3) Identify and explicate future research needs that are important to answering real-world healthcare decisions.
  
  To view this task notice, click here. 
  
  
• Task Order Notification: EPC Methods Research and Resource Activities for Evidence Synthesis
  AHRQ intends to award two competitive task orders for the Evidence Based Practice Centers. The purpose of the task orders is to have the Evidence Based Practice Centers lead specific research activities for advancing Evidence Synthesis methods and serve as a resource to the EPC Program.
  
  To view this task notice, click here.