The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has announced a new funding opportunity (PA-23-291) titled "Understanding and Improving Diagnostic Safety in Ambulatory Care: Incidence and Contributing Factors (R01)." This initiative seeks to support research focused on understanding the occurrence and underlying causes of diagnostic errors within the diverse field of ambulatory care. Ambulatory care, which includes services like primary care, urgent care, and outpatient specialty clinics, represents a significant portion of healthcare in the U.S., and the goal of this funding opportunity is to reduce the incidence of diagnostic errors, which can have serious consequences for patient outcomes.

The AHRQ highlights the need for more research in ambulatory care, particularly in light of the significant differences in diagnostic processes, provider expertise, and patient populations compared to hospital-based settings. Diagnostic errors in these settings affect millions annually, contributing to patient harm and driving up healthcare costs. This opportunity encourages applicants to explore factors contributing to diagnostic errors, including demographic and social factors such as race, ethnicity, age, sex, and social determinants of health. The research should focus on understanding the complexities of diagnostic errors and developing evidence to improve diagnostic processes and safety.

AHRQ is particularly interested in research that addresses six key areas identified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) for reducing diagnostic errors: the identification and reduction of diagnostic errors, patient and family engagement, health care professional education and training, health information technology, work system improvements, and the external healthcare environment. Additionally, AHRQ encourages studies that investigate diagnostic disparities in underserved populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, women, and those with disabilities.

Funding is available for new and resubmission applications. The budget for each project is capped at $500,000 per year, with a total project limit of $2 million over four years. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and tribal organizations. For-profit organizations may participate as part of research consortia but cannot be the primary applicant. Research proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov, and applicants are required to follow the AHRQ’s specific application guidelines, which may differ from standard NIH guidelines.

The application deadline for this funding opportunity follows NIH's standard due dates, with the first submission window closing on February 5, 2024. Applications will undergo scientific merit review approximately four months after submission, with the earliest potential start date for projects occurring about eight months later. AHRQ emphasizes the importance of including priority populations in research, including racial minorities, rural communities, and individuals with disabilities. Projects are expected to adhere to AHRQ’s policies on data sharing and the inclusion of underrepresented populations in research.

Researchers are encouraged to consider using electronic health records (EHRs), diagnostic testing data, and other healthcare technologies as part of their study methods to assess diagnostic accuracy and identify contributing factors to errors. Studies on how healthcare professionals are trained to recognize and prevent diagnostic errors, as well as the effectiveness of work system improvements in different ambulatory care settings, are also highly encouraged.

This funding opportunity provides a significant chance to address the pressing issue of diagnostic safety in ambulatory care and improve the overall quality and equity of healthcare in the United States.