About the AHRQ National Partnership Network

The National Partnership Network comprises more than 600 organizations committed to supporting increased awareness and use of comparative effectiveness research findings from AHRQ’s Effective Health Care (EHC) Program. The EHC Program offers evidence-based research findings and health information tools to support informed decision making among patients, caregivers, health professionals, and others.

The network includes Federal, State, and local health agencies, health professional groups, consumer advocacy groups, health systems, and businesses committed to improving the quality of health care through informed decision making.

Why is this important?

Patients and caregivers are often faced with complicated decisions, such as which test is best, what medicine will help most with the fewest side effects, or whether surgery is the best option. Reliable, evidence-based tools help them explore, compare, and prepare to make important decisions that will influence their health.   

Health professionals can use comparative effectiveness research findings to review unbiased evidence on the effectiveness and risks of different treatment options for a variety of chronic health conditions.

Together with the National Partnership Network, AHRQ has developed Treatment Options: Explore. Compare. Prepare., a national awareness initiative that provides unbiased treatment summaries from AHRQ’s EHC Program, a leading Federal effort that conducts research to compare treatments and interventions for various health conditions and make the findings public.

The results of the EHC Program’s comparative effectiveness research are translated into consumer-friendly English- and Spanish-language publications that provide evidence-based summaries for medical conditions, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, mental health, women’s and men’s health, and more. Partners across the country are helping to inform the research, provide input on AHRQ’s efforts, and share Treatment Options resources.

Get Involved

• Materials and Tools — Access resources for your organization, community, health professional network, university, and patients.
• Suggested Activities — Learn ways to engage in the Treatment Options initiative.
• Partners in Action — Explore how organizations across the country are committed to improving the quality of health care through informed decision making.

Learn More

• Partners — Learn who is involved in the partnership network.
• Frequently Asked Questions — Learn more about comparative effectiveness research, evidence-based tools to support your organization, how they can be used, and the benefits of partnership.
• Partnership Policies — Learn more about the national partnership network policies.