Health Services Research Competencies Development & Conferences

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DESCRIPTION (Provided by Applicant): his small conference application builds on the work begun by AHRQ to develop core competencies for doctoral health services researchers. The application aligns with AHRQ's Research Training, Infrastructure and Career Development conferences and its mission to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. The specific aims are to: 1) decide on the scope and process for continued development of health services research (HSR) core competencies; 2) produce a Version 2 consensus-driven document of competencies for HSR education; and 3) disseminate conference products and engage discussion of competencies. Two conferences will be held. The first, a Planning Meeting, at the Academy Health Annual Research Meeting June 5, 2007 in Orlando FL, will review competency development methods/processes and lists from similar fields and use these to inform HSR competencies and to identify next steps in their development. The second, a HSR Consensus Conference, in Seattle WA in early 2008 will produce a Version 2 consensus-derived document of competencies for HSR education and describe next steps to facilitate the use of HSR competencies by academia, federal agencies, employers, and other end-users. The Planning Committee and the UW team will plan the conferences, facilitate communication, collect and summarize data from programs and stakeholders, and use a modified Delphi technique to finalize the HSR competencies. The products will be disseminated widely through the web, an E-mail discussion list, an article in a peer reviewed journal, and presentations at national meetings. The results from the conferences will be used to improve the consistency and quality of the HSR workforce and will result in better conduct and translation of research, which eventually will improve the health of the U. S. population. The development and dissemination of health services research competencies will improve public health by, first, helping to define the field for potential students and public health employers. Second, the adoption of the competencies will increase consistency and quality of training across programs. Third, the competencies will yield a better trained workforce of health services researchers that will translate research into practice and policy and, thus, improve the health of the U. S. public.