National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)

Administration for Community Living - (Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S.) - Created by DHHS on April 16, 2012, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has the goal of increasing access to community supports and full participation, while focusing attention and resources on the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities. The ACL will include the efforts and achievements of the Administration on Aging, the Office on Disability and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in a single agency, with enhanced policy and program support for both cross-cutting initiatives and efforts focused on the unique needs of individual groups such as children with developmental disabilities, adults with physical disabilities, or seniors, including seniors with Alzheimer's.

Administration on Aging (AoA) - (Administration on Aging (AOA) U.S.) - Part of DHHS, AoA's mission is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. AHRQ supports health services research that will improve the quality of health care and promote evidence-based decision making.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) is one of the operating components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC's mission is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CMS is the federal agency which administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Provides information for health professionals, regional governments, and consumers.

Department of Defense (DOD) - The DOD funds health services research studies, e.g., impact of discrimination on medical care and quality of life for breast cancer survivors; quality of care indicators for early-stage prostate cancer.

Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) - DHSS is the government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) - HRSA works to improve and extend life for people living with HIV/AIDS, provide primary health care to medically underserved people, serve women and children through state programs, and train a health workforce that is both diverse and motivated to work in underserved communities.

Indian Health Service (IHS) - Part of DHHS, IHS provides health services to 1.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives of more than 560 federally recognized tribes. Has supported health services research projects such as cost-effectiveness studies of rural telemedicine consultation services, the effects of fluoridation, etc.

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) - Established in 1997 by the merger of the Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC) and the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPAC). Created by congressional mandate (Public Law 105-33), the 15-member nonpartisan Commission advises the Congress on Medicare Payment policies. MedPAC is also tasked with analyzing access to care, quality of care, and other issues affecting Medicare.

National Cancer Institute Support and Resources - (National Cancer Institute, NIH (NCI)) - Provides general support information for those with cancer, lists support organizations, details information about finances and insurance, and offers information about hospices and home care, and support for children with cancer.

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) - (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) - The Nation's principal health statistics agency. Looks at outcomes, access, literature synthesis, public reporting, underserved, quality, data collection methods, etc. Access data, reports, surveys, and tools.

National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR) - The 1993 NIH Revitalization Acts created NICHSR at the National Library of Medicine to improve "...the collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of information on health services research, clinical practice guidelines, and on health care technology, including the assessment of such technology."

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Part of DHHS, NIH is the world's premiere medical research organization. A number of its Centers and Institutes conduct health services research, e.g., outcomes, patient safety, data sources, epidemiology, health disparities, access to care, quality of care, pharmacogenetics, data sources, implementation research, research diffusion, research dissemination.

National Science Foundation - An independent agency to promote the progress of science; advance national health, prosperity, and welfare, and secure national defense. Supports health service research projects, for example, ensuring security and privacy for electronic records, theory and implementation of scheduling patients, econometric models, etc.

Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) - (Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S.) - Coordinates adolescent health programs and initiatives across DHHS related to adolescent health promotion and disease prevention. Supports multi-disciplinary projects focused on improving adolescent health, collects and disseminates information on adolescent health to health professionals and the general public, and works in partnership with other HHS agencies to support evidence-based approaches to improving the health of adolescents. Monitors trends in adolescent health and supports training of healthcare professionals.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)) - Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. Also funds health services research.

United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service - The USDA has funded a number of health services research projects, e.g., assessing outcomes of childhood overweight prevention, providing health services in rural America, etc.

VA Health Services Research and Development Service - (Health Services Research and Development Service, Veterans Administration (HSR&D)) - VA's Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D), works to identify and evaluate innovative strategies that lead to accessible, high quality, cost-effective care for veterans and the nation.

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Associations and Organizations

AARP - (AARP) - Formerly American Association of Retired Persons. A non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives. As noted on its website, since its inception in 1958, AARP has grown and changed dramatically in response to societal changes, while remaining true to its founding principles: to promote independence, dignity and purpose for older persons; to enhance the quality of life for older persons; to encourage older people; and, to serve, not to be served.

AcademyHealth - (AcademyHealth) - AcademyHealth is the professional home for health services researchers, policy analysts, and practitioners and a non-partisan resource for health research and policy.

America's Health Insurance Plan Foundation - The Foundation strives to create, support, and enhance programs in health insurance plans which will improve quality, effectiveness, and value in health care through research, education, information sharing, and other activities.

American Cancer Society - Health Services Research - (American Cancer Society (ACS)) - The Health Services Research (HSR) program analyzes cancer treatment and outcomes using data collected by the National Cancer Database (NCDB, a jointly funded by the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society), SEER-Medicare, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Data and other administrative and registry databases. Research has focused on defining the role of health insurance in cancer diagnosis, treatment and survival disparities, and has also included studies examining the impact of race/ethnicity, quality of care and safety-net burden on cancer outcomes.

The American Health Quality Association (AHQA) - Represents Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) and professionals working to improve the quality of health care in communities across America. QIOs share information about best practices with physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and others.

American Medical Association (AMA) - The AMA's mission is to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.

American Public Health Association (APHA) - APHA is an Association of individuals and organizations working to improve the public's health and to achieve equity in health status for all. We promote the scientific and professional foundation of public health practice and policy, advocate the conditions for a healthy global society, emphasize prevention and enhance the ability of members to promote and protect environmental and community health.

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) - World's leading professional organization representing physicians who treat people with cancer. Members conduct health services research. Link to HSR ASCO meeting abstracts.

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) - Founded in 1876, conducts research and compiles and disseminates data on medical schools, students, faculty members, and teaching hospitals. A variety of publications are also available. It is "a nonprofit association of medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic societies" whose purpose is to "improve the nation's health by enhancing the effectiveness of academic medicine."

Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) - The Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) is the only national organization representing the deans, faculty and students of the accredited member schools of public health and other programs seeking accreditation as schools of public health.

Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) - The Foundation has brought researchers and decision makers together to create and apply knowledge to improve health services for Canadians. The Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit corporation, established with endowed funds from the federal government and its agencies, and incorporated under the Canada Corporations Act.

Center for Advancing Health - (The Annenberg Foundation US, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) U.S.) - CFAH conducts research, communicates findings and advocates for policies that support everyone's ability to benefit from advances in health science.

Center for Healthcare Strategies, Inc. - This is a non-profit health policy resource center dedicated to improving health care quality for low-income children, adults, people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, frail elders and racially and ethnically diverse populations experiencing disparities in care.

Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) - A nonpartisan policy research organization located in Washington, D.C. HSC designs and conducts studies focused on the U.S. health care system to inform the thinking and decisions of policy makers in government and private industry.

Commonwealth Fund - (Commonwealth Fund) - Established in 1918 with the broad charge to enhance the common good, the mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, and elderly adults. This site provides access to data, surveys and numerous publications.

Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine - Mission is to help transform medicine and healthcare through rigorous scientific studies, new models of clinical care, and innovative educational programs that integrate biomedicine, the complexity of human beings, the intrinsic nature of healing and the rich diversity of therapeutic systems. Conducts health services research.

ECRI - An independent, nonprofit health services research agency that works to improve the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. Provides a wide range of services dealing with healthcare technology, including research, evaluation, assessment, publications, and databases. Other areas of interest include: healthcare risk and quality management, and healthcare environmental management.

Families USA - A national nonprofit working for the consumer in national and state health policy debates.

HandsNet - 5000 public interest and human services groups working on health issues

Health Research & Educational Trust - HRET's goal is to advance ideas and practices beneficial to health care practitioners, institutions, consumers, and society at large. Its principal activities focus on identifying, exploring, demonstrating, and evaluating key strategic health care issues affecting innovative health care delivery systems, educating the field about the implications of changing health policies and developing strategies for community health improvement.

Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand - Incorporated in Sydney in April 2001. It has been set up in response to a growing need to promote health services research in both Australia and New Zealand. Its purpose is to facilitate communication across researchers, and between researchers and policymakers, to promote education and training in health services research, and to ensure sustainable capacity in health services research in Australia and New Zealand.

Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) - Focuses uniquely on health technology assessment (HTA) and provides the key forum for all those from the worlds of health care, academia and business interested in the science, development and application of HTA. Health technology assessment (HTA) offers "supporting evidence based decision making in health care policy and practice".

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation - An independent philanthropy focusing on the major health care issues, including comparative effectiveness research, facing the nation. The Foundation is an independent voice and source of facts analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public.

Institute of Medicine - (Institute of Medicine (IOM)) - The IOM is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public. The IOM asks and answers the nation's most pressing questions about health and health care.

International Health Economics Association (iHEA) - Formed to increase communication among health economists, foster a high standard of debate in the application of economics to health and health care systems, and assist young researchers at the start of their careers.

The Joint Commission (TJC), formerly known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations - Independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs in the US. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

National Academy of Social Insurance - Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to promote understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security and a vibrant economy.

National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) - National, not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to improving health care through the collection, analysis, dissemination, public availability, and use of health data.

National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR) - (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), University of Kentucky College of Public Health) - Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research and the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN) National Coordinating Center, both housed at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., collaborate to explore the impact of specific public health strategies on the quality and performance of the United States public health system.

National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) - The NPSF's vision is to be the indispensable resource for individuals and organizations committed to improving the safety of patients.

Pew Charitable Trusts - Seeks to promote nonpartisan policy solutions for pressing and emerging health-care problems that affect the American public and the global community.

Population Association of America (PAA) - A nonprofit, scientific, professional organization established to promote the improvement, advancement and progress of the human race through research of problems related to human population.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)) - RWJF's mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans.

Society for Medical Decision Making - SMDM's mission is to improve health outcomes through the advancement of proactive systematic approaches to clinical decision making and policy-formation in health care by providing a scholarly forum that connects and educates researchers, providers, policy-makers, and the public.

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