What is the main purpose of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality? The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was established by the Health Care Services Division of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to serve as a national clearinghouse for quality indicators used by hospitals, long-term care agencies, primary care physicians, nursing organizations, patients, caregivers, and others to improve the health of the American public. The Agency was established to focus on prevention, research, service, public health, outcomes, improvement, and risk management.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s mission is to promote quality of health care and provide information that will improve the nation’s ability to prevent and treat disease. Healthcare researchers to perform research and analysis to determine how health care practices and systems affect public health. They also conduct surveys to understand patient needs and provide information on services available. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s activities are carried out in five different categories to support these activities: clinical trials, quality improvement, quality education and information technology, public health, and workers’ compensation.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s budget is about $6.4 billion a year. This represents about 15% of the total budget for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In recent years, the AHRQ has been criticized for not focusing enough on prevention. It is also under investigation for not publishing new research findings on time. As a result of these problems, CMS rejected AHRQ’s applications for funding in recent years.