Experts Say Cuts to AHRQ Threaten the Future of Health Care Quality and Patient Safety in the U. S.
In a commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Aaron E. Carroll, MD, MS and David Atkins, MD, MPH, a former Scientific Director of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and Chief Medical Officer at the Center for Outcome and Evidence at Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), say that Trump administration cuts to AHRQ threaten the future of health care quality and patient safety in the United States.
Experts say cuts to AHRQ threaten the future of health care quality and patient safety in the U. S. Abstract:https://www. acpjournals. org/doi/10. 7326/ANNALS-26-03490URL goes live when the embargo liftsNewswise — In a commentary published inAnnals of Internal Medicine, Aaron E. Carroll, MD, MS and David Atkins, MD, MPH, a former Scientific Director of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and Chief Medical Officer at the Center for Outcome and Evidence at Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), say that Trump administration cuts to AHRQ threaten the future of health care quality and patient safety in the United States. In their article, Drs. Carroll and Atkins explain how recent staffing cuts, funding disruptions, and organizational changes affect the AHRQ. They point out that the Trump administration’s actions have led to the cancellation of at least 115 approved research projects, raising concerns about the future of research that helps improve patient safety, health care quality, and medical decision-making in the United States. The authors argue that the loss of AHRQ could have far-reaching consequences for clinicians and patients by disrupting studies on diagnostic errors, maternal health, primary care, and other issues that no other federal agency is specifically tasked with addressing. They outline actions that Congress should take to mitigate the effects of the recent cuts to AHRQ, including urging the agency to resume regular meetings of the United States Preventative Services Task Force. Media contacts:For an embargoed PDF, please contact Gabby Macrina at[email protected]. To contact corresponding author Aaron E Carroll, MD, MS, please email[email protected].