Attachment H: AHRQ Letter

{Date}

Dear {Field 1},

I am writing to encourage you to participate in an important comprehensive evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).

As you may know, the Action Plan represents a range of federal agencies working together with stakeholders across the U.S. healthcare system to address one of the most pressing patient safety and public health issues—HAIs. The purpose of this evaluation is to continue and expand upon the longitudinal comprehensive program evaluation of the Action Plan, by focusing upon HAI-related efforts in ambulatory surgical centers, end-stage renal disease facilities, and long-term care settings, as well as the inter-relationship of the Action Plan with other significant federally-supported quality improvement efforts. Your input would help provide critical guidance to the Action Plan and how it can best coordinate its strategies and activities with other important initiatives.

Your participation would consist of a one-hour interview to obtain your perspective on current major priorities for HAI prevention, the contributions that the Action Plan and other federal initiatives have been making to reduce the prevalence of HAIs, and lessons learned about how these initiatives can best work together to support HAI improvement. These interviews will augment and update findings from interviews that IMPAQ International and the RAND Corporation conducted with multiple stakeholder groups between 2010 and 2013.

HHS has contracted with IMPAQ, RAND, and Insight Policy Research to conduct the current evaluation. They will conduct the interviews independently of HHS and maintain the confidentiality of all participants. Information gathered through the interviews will not be reported in any way that can be attributed to individual participants or their affiliated organizations without their permission. A member of the evaluation team will contact you soon to request your participation and to arrange a mutually convenient interview appointment.

In summary, I urge you to participate in this important project. Your perspective will serve as a valuable resource to the project team. If you have any questions about these interviews, please contact Dr. Claire Wilson, Project Director, at 703-504-9484 or cwilson@insightpolicyresearch.com.

Sincerely,

James B. Battles, Ph.D. Social Science Analyst for Patient Safety  Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality