HHS plans to award health care innovation task orders

The Agency for Health Research Quality anticipates awarding up to 15 contracts totaling $4.5 million to improve evidence-based health care delivery, including use of health information technology.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is looking to award 12 to 15 contracts in the coming months for its “Action II” program to spark innovation in health care delivery, including use of health information technology.

The goal of Action II (Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks II) is to promote evidence-based innovation in health care delivery.

The government anticipates awarding up to $4.5 million in cost-reimbursement task order contracts. The contracts will be for three years each, with a two-year option.

Topics to be addressed in the Action II contracts are likely to include patient safety, health information technology, coordination of care, quality of care, comparative effectiveness of systems design and change strategies, care management, health literacy and emergency preparedness, according to a notice posted today on the FedBiz Opps Web site. Proposals are due on March 31.

Contractors are advised to consider researching a variety of innovations and strategies to improve efficiency and delivery of care, including lean management, social network analysis, and the implementation of bundled interventions and bundled payments.