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Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks II

Fact Sheet

ACTION II is a model of field-based research designed to promote innovation in health care delivery by accelerating the diffusion of research into practice. The ACTION II network includes 17 large partnerships and more than 350 collaborating organizations that provide health care to an estimated 50 percent of the U.S. population. ACTION II's goals, partners, and research opportunities are summarized in this fact sheet.

Select for information about ACTION II's predecessor, ACTION: ACTION Fact Sheet.

Select for summaries of projects funded under ACTION II in 2013, 2012, 2011, and ACTION in 2010 and 2009.

Mission

ACTION II promotes and accelerates the development, implementation, dissemination, and sustainability of innovations in health care delivery to increase understanding of how to incorporate evidence-based improvements into routine practice to improve quality of care.

Objectives

ACTION II Partnerships conduct practice-based implementation research focused on achieving one or more of the following four objectives:

  • To test or expand the investigation of innovations that are new to the health care field (proofs of concept).
  • To implement, in additional settings, interventions or improvement approaches that have been demonstrated to work in a limited type or number of settings.
  • To spread, or take to scale, one or more proven innovations or delivery system improvements.
  • To evaluate and support sustainability.

Program Characteristics

Like its predecessor, ACTION (http://www.ahrq.gov/research/action.htm), ACTION II is a 5-year task order contract model of practice-based implementation research. Its 17 Awardees and their Partnerships include a total of over 350 collaborating organizations. Collectively, the Partnerships, which span all States, provide access and care to an estimated 50 percent of the U.S. population, representing a broad geographic, demographic, and payer mix for care recipients. The 17 Partnerships are composed of diverse organizations involved in health care delivery, including: inpatient, ambulatory, and long-term care health care providers (including integrated delivery systems and Federally Qualified Health Centers/safety nets); health plans; health services research organizations/networks; consumer and patient safety groups; professional or trade associations/organizations; and quality improvement organizations.

Each Partnership includes operational systems that house large, robust health care databases, recognized clinical and research expertise, and the authority to implement health care innovations. A particular focus of ACTION II task orders will be increasing understanding not only of whether a particular innovation "works," but how and why it does or does not work. ACTION II research is intended to be:

Practice-Based: ACTION II supports field-based research to explore a broad mix of practical, applied topics that are responsive to diverse user needs and operational interests. By testing innovations directly in the settings in which they are intended to be used, ACTION II increases the likelihood of their eventual successful uptake.

Implementation-Oriented: ACTION II research is designed to increase knowledge about the process of implementing innovations and the contextual factors influencing implementation. It seeks to enhance understanding of how and why specific strategies do or do not work.

Rapid Cycle: As requirements are identified, task order proposals are solicited from the 17 Awardees. Task orders are awarded within approximately 4 months of release of each request for task order proposals. Task orders are generally completed within 18–30 months of the award date, depending on their size and scope.

Potentially Worthy of Spread: ACTION II emphasizes projects that are broadly responsive to user needs and operational interests and which are generally intended to be applicable across multiple settings.

Potential Topics of Interest

  • Patient safety.
  • Health information technology.
  • Structure and organization of care delivery.
  • Coordination of care.
  • Payment.
  • Comparative effectiveness of systems design and change strategies.
  • Prevention and care management.
  • Long-Term care.
  • Health literacy.
  • Health disparities.

Resources

AHRQ is interested in hearing from organizations that may wish to sponsor, or suggest sponsors for, one or more projects. Past funders have included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health/Office of the Secretary, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

AHRQ anticipates that sources and amounts for ACTION II funding may be similar to those of ACTION. Between 2006 and 2010, AHRQ awarded approximately $74 million in funds to almost 100 projects conducted by 15 Partnerships.

Share Your Thoughts...

AHRQ is interested in hearing your thoughts about practice-based implementation research questions that might be well suited to exploration through ACTION II. For information about how to share your thoughts, please contact:

Dina Moss, MPA
Senior Program Analyst
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
5600 Fishers Lane
Mailstop 7W25B
Rockville, MD 20857
Dina.Moss@ahrq.hhs.gov

Prime Partners and Partnership Members

For detailed information about each of the ACTION II Prime Organizations, including contact names, go to ACTION II Partnership Snapshots.

Abt Associates, Inc.: Abt SRBI, Inc.; Advise & Consent, Inc.; Biotechnical Communications; Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education, University of Alabama, Birmingham; Geisinger Health System; MetaResearch; Partners Healthcare; Relyon Media; Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina; The Joint Commission.

American Institutes for Research: Adventist Health System; Carilion Clinic; Mayo Clinic; Texas A&M University System Health Science Center; TMF Health Quality Institute; Urban Institute; Virtua.

Battelle Memorial Institute: Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute; Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; Children's Medical Center-Dallas; Duke University-Duke Clinical Research Institute; Emory University; Nationwide Children's Hospital; Ohio State University; Saint Louis University; Texas Children's Health Plan; Texas Children's Hospital; Texas Children's Pediatric Associates; University of Arizona; University of Miami; UT Southwestern Medical Center; Washington University.

Billings Clinic: Albert Einstein Healthcare Network; Cabin Creek Health Systems; Maine Medical Center; Park Nicollet Institute; Plexus Institute; The Center for Family, Community and Social Justice; University of Louisville Medical Center.

Boston University: Boston Medical Center; Cambridge Health Alliance; Commonwealth Care Alliance; Montefiore Medical Center; VA New England Healthcare System.

CNA: American Academy of Family Physicians, National Research Network; Avera; Carilion Clinic; Christiana Care Health Services; Collaboration Communication; Delmarva Foundation; Guthrie Health; KZO Innovations; Lehigh Valley; MedStar Health Research Institute; Milliman; National Committee for Quality Assurance; Oregon Health & Science University; Olmsted Medical Center; Palladian Partners; Primary Care Partners; Quality Healthcare Network; Thomas Jefferson University; Virginia Tech.

George Washington University: Access Community Health Network; Affinity Health Plan; Albany Area Primary Health Care; American College of Emergency Physicians; Arizona State University/Center for Health Information and Research; Association for Community Affiliated Plans; Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations; Carondelet Health Network; Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero; Clinical Directors Network; Columbia University/Mailman School of Public Health; Community Health and Social Services; Community Health Center Network; Detroit Wayne County Health Authority; El Rio Community Health Center; George Washington University Health Policy; Health and Hospitals Corporation of New York City; Health Federation of Philadelphia; Health Plus; Henry Ford Health System; Institute for Family Health; Lutheran Family Health Center; Memorial Healthcare System; Metro Plus; Migrant Clinicians Network; Morehouse University/National Center for Primary Care; National Association of Community Health Centers; National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems; National Rural Health Association; Nevada Health Centers; North County Health Services; RCHN Community Health Foundation; Redwood Community Health Coalition; San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium; San Francisco Health Plan; Southeast Regional Clinicians' Network; St. Louis Integrated Health Network; University of California San Francisco/Department of Family and Community Medicine; United Hospital Fund; University of Pennsylvania Medicine; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital; San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center; University of Chicago.

Healthcare Research and Educational Trust: Alabama Hospital Association; Allina; American Hospital Association; Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association; Arkansas Hospital Association; Baycare; Baylor; Baystate; Beth Israel Medical Center; Booz Allen Hamilton; California Hospital Association; Catholic Healthcare Partners; Colorado Hospital Association; Connecticut Hospital Association; Florida Hospital Association; Georgia Hospital Association; Harvard Medical; Hawaii Hospital Association; Hospital Corporation of America; Idaho Hospital Association; Illinois Hospital Association; Indiana Hospital Association; Iowa Health System; Iowa Hospital Association; Kansas Hospital Association; Lehigh Valley; Louisiana Hospital Association; Maryland Hospital Association; Massachusetts Hospital Association; Michigan Hospital Association; Minnesota Hospital Association; Missouri Hospital Association; National Association of Children's Hospitals; Nevada Hospital Association and Related Institutions; New Hampshire Hospital Association; New Jersey Hospital Association; New York Hospital Association; North Carolina Hospital Association; Ohio Hospital Association; Ohio State University; Oklahoma Hospital Association; Oregon Hospital Association; Pennsylvania Hospital Association; Rush University Medical Center; Sentara Healthcare; Sharp Healthcare; South Carolina Hospital Association; South Dakota Hospital Association; Tennessee Hospital Association; Texas Hospital Association; University of Massachusetts Memorial Healthcare; University of Washington; University of Michigan; Utah Hospital Association; Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association; Washington Hospital Association; West Virginia Hospital Association; Wisconsin Hospital Association; Wyoming Hospital Association.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Ascension Health; Brigham and Women's Hospital Center of Excellence for Patient Safety Research and Practice; Cambridge Health Alliance; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Contra Costa Regional Medical Center; Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management; Harvard Vanguard; Iowa Healthcare Collaborative; North Carolina Center for Hospital Quality and Patient Safety; North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System; Sentara Healthcare; University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Intermountain Healthcare: Baylor Health Care System; Colorado Health Outcomes Program; Denver Health; Mayo Clinic; Providence Health and Services; VA Medical Center (Denver); VA Medical Center (Salt Lake City).

Johns Hopkins University Quality and Safety Research Group: American Society of Anesthesiologists; Arkansas Hospital Association; Blue Cross Blue Shield of America; Connecticut Hospital Association; Consumers Advancing Patient Safety; Consumers Union; ECRI Institute; Florida Hospital Association; Georgia Hospital Association; Health Science Informatics Research Training; Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research; Johns Hopkins Health Services Research and Development Center; Johns Hopkins School of Nursing; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians; Johns Hopkins Health Care; Johns Hopkins School of Public Health DEcIDE Network; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Quality and Safety; Massachusetts General Hospital Center of Excellence for Patient Safety; Michigan Health & Hospital Association Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality; MDLogix; Missouri Hospital Association; National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions; Oregon Association of Hospital and Health Systems; Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; Society of Critical Care Medicine; Tennessee Center for Patient Safety; Association of Professionals in Infection Control; Canadian Patient Safety Institute; Center for Innovations; Foundation for Health Communities; Institute for Healthcare Optimization (New Hampshire Hospital Association); Institute for Safe Medication Practices; Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; The Joint Commission; Evidence-Based Practice Center; Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; Josie King Foundation; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute; Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, St. Michael's Hospital; Anesthesia Foundation; University Health System Consortium; University of Maryland School of Nursing; VA Center for Implementation Practice; VA National Center for Patient Safety and Research and Support; Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research; Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; Health Systems Management; National Patient Safety Agency; University of Michigan Health System; University of Michigan School of Public Health; VA Patient Safety Evidence-Based Practice Center; University of Wisconsin, Madison, School of Industrial and Systems Engineering; University of Central Florida, Human Systems Integration Research, Institute for Simulation and Training; Wisconsin Hospital Association; World Health Organization Patient Safety Programme.

John Snow, Inc.: Bailit Health Purchasing, LLC; Big Sandy Health Care, Inc.; Boston Medical Center; Butte Family Planning; California State Rural Health Association; Center for Managing Chronic Disease; Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota; Community Health Center Association of Connecticut; Children's Health Fund; Clinica Family Health Services; Colorado Community Managed Care Network; Community Care Alliance; Community Health Access Network; Council of Community Clinics in San Diego; Family Planning Councils of America; Full Circle Projects, Inc.; Harbor Health Services; Laramie Reproductive Health; Maine Primary Care Association; Metro Community Provider Network; Migrant Clinicians Network; National Committee for Quality Assurance; New England Rural; Health RoundTable; North Colorado Health Alliance, Inc.; Penobscot Community Health Care; Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County; Sacopee Valley Health Center; San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium; Shawnee Health Service; Health Imperatives, Inc.; Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center; Indiana Primary Health Care Association; South Boston Community Health Center; South Carolina Primary Health Care Association; Teller County Public Health; United Neighborhood Health Services; Valley-Wide Health Systems; Wyoming Primary Care Association.

Kaiser Permanente: Geisinger Clinic; Group Health Cooperative; Harvard Pilgrim Health Care; Health Partners; Henry Ford Health System; Kaiser Permanente Colorado; Kaiser Permanente Hawaii; Kaiser Permanente Northern California; Kaiser Permanente Northwest; Kaiser Permanente Southeast; Lovelace Health System; Maccabi Healthcare Services; Meyers/Fallon; University of California San Francisco; Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute; Sutter Health Institute for Research and Education.

Lewin Group: Children's National Medical Center; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Delta Airlines; National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality; Nemours; Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality; ON24; Oregon Health and Science University; REDA International; Target Corporation; American Academy of Pediatrics; Vermont Child Health Improvement Program.

Mathematica Policy Research: American College of Physicians; Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center; Burness Communications; Jewish Home Lifecare; Oregon Health and Science University; Partners in Care Foundation; Rush University Medical Center; Scott & White; Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence; University of Illinois at Chicago; Special Needs Plan Alliance.

RAND: American Health Information Management Association Foundation; Annenberg Center for Health Sciences/Eisenhower Medical Center; Aurora Health Care; California Association of Physician Groups; California Chronic Care Coalition; California Medical Association Foundation; California Quality Collaborative; California Universities; Center for Health Policy, University of Missouri; Consumers Advancing Patient Safety; ECRI Institute; Health Literacy Missouri; Humana; Integrated Healthcare Association; LA Net; Lumetra Healthcare Solutions; Molina Healthcare; Partners in Care Foundation; Pharmacy Foundation of California; Right Care Initiative; University HealthSystem Consortium; Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality.

Research Triangle Institute International: American Medical Group Association; Children's National Medical Center; Duke University Health System; East Carolina University; Emory Healthcare; National Association of Community Health Centers; Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center; University of North Carolina Health Care System; Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Virginia CommonwealthUniversity.

Page last reviewed March 2014
Page originally created September 2012

The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only.

 

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