News Briefs: Week of Oct. 19-23

This roundup includes the following news briefs:

According to an article in MLN Matters (4-page PDF; About PDFs), physicians now can activate the process to access their 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, or PQRI, feedback reports from CMS via telephone. They also can request 2007 feedback reports that have been rerun, as well as reports on CMS' 2009 e-Prescribing Incentive Program.

The new process eliminates the need for physicians to enter CMS' security system to access their feedback reports and instead allows them to call their respective Medicare carriers or Medicare administrative contractors. Callers must provide an e-mail address, and reports will be e-mailed within 30 days of the request. If no report is available, the requester will receive an e-mail notification to that effect.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ, is awarding $29.5 million to 20-25 research programs to study ways to disseminate comparative effectiveness research findings effectively, according to an AHRQ Funding Opportunity Announcement.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, or AAMC, the grant programs, which now are accepting applications, could result in advances for CME initiatives. A primary way of extending the reach of comparative effectiveness research could be through innovative CME activities that provide data to practicing physicians so they can apply the new knowledge, said the AAMC.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ, has issued two grant proposals to spur the development of medical liability reform and patient safety programs.

The first grant program will award one-year planning grants for states and health systems to develop, implement and evaluate innovations to patient safety and medical liability reform. AHRQ is providing as much as $300,000 for each grant.

The second grant program will fund three-year demonstration projects in states and health systems that are ready to develop, implement and evaluate innovative medical liability models that focus on patient safety and medical liability system reform. AHRQ will provide as much as $3 million for each of these grants.