ImproveCareNow

Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 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.  The AHRQ created a grant program to close the gap between new scientific discoveries and the clinical practice of pediatric therapeutics.  This program has funded several Centers for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERTs) to study and implement advances in medical care.
 
In October, 2007 the AHRQ selected Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to be a CERTs center, and has provided funding for four initiatives, including Improve Care Now.  This four-year grant is helping Improve Care Now to develop and test changes in care guidelines for children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease) and determine how to incorporate improved methods into practice, with the goal of improving medication management and growth in these children.
 
CERTs and the AHRQ share Improve Care Now's mission of freely sharing information, experience, tools and results related to the treatment of IBD.  In addition to their generous funding, they support our efforts to disseminate this information to caregivers, families, academic colleagues and policymakers.

Visit the AHRQ / CERTs web site.