Implementing and Evaluating Patient-Centered Clinical Decision Support Strategies in Real-World Settings(U18) | RFA HS 24 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HS 24 003

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is offering a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Implementing and Evaluating Patient-Centered Clinical Decision Support Strategies in Real-World Settings (U18)" under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-HS-24-003 (CFDA 93.226). This program uses a cooperative agreement mechanism (U18), which generally means the awardee will carry out an approved research project while AHRQ remains actively involved through substantial federal programmatic participation. The core purpose is to advance patient-centered clinical decision support (CDS) by supporting research that actually tests CDS tools, approaches, and supporting resources in real-world care settings, rather than limiting work to controlled or purely theoretical environments.

At a practical level, the opportunity is aimed at generating evidence on how patient-centered CDS can be implemented, used, and evaluated in day-to-day clinical operations. The emphasis on "patient-centered" signals a focus on decision support that improves the quality, safety, relevance, and usability of decisions for patients and clinicians, potentially including shared decision-making, patient preferences, equity considerations, and workflows that fit how care is delivered in diverse settings. The phrase "real-world settings" points toward implementation in operational healthcare environments such as health systems, clinics, community-based settings, or other care delivery contexts where constraints like staffing, competing priorities, EHR configuration, and varying patient populations can affect whether CDS works as intended. Projects under this opportunity would be expected to study not just whether a CDS intervention can work, but how it is adopted, how it performs over time, what barriers and facilitators shape uptake, and what outcomes it produces for patients, clinicians, and organizations.

Eligibility is broad across government, education, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations, which supports the goal of testing CDS in settings that reflect the diversity of US healthcare. Eligible applicants include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and applicants located in a US territory or possession. Despite listing "Non-domestic (non-US) Entities (Foreign Organizations)" in the narrative of other eligible applicants, the notice explicitly clarifies that non-domestic entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of US organizations are also not eligible. In other words, applicants must be US-based eligible entities without foreign components serving as the applicant organization.

Key administrative details provided in the source include an original closing date of September 12, 2024, and a creation date for the opportunity record of July 10, 2024. The award ceiling and the expected number of awards are not specified in the provided data, so applicants would typically need to consult the full funding announcement for budget limits, project period expectations, cost-sharing requirements (if any), and other submission details.

Overall, this funding opportunity is designed to move patient-centered CDS from concept into practice by supporting research that implements CDS strategies where healthcare is actually delivered and evaluates what happens when those strategies meet real constraints, real workflows, and real patient needs. It is particularly relevant for organizations that can partner with clinical sites, leverage EHR-enabled workflows, engage patients and frontline clinicians, and rigorously measure implementation and outcomes in a way that produces findings other healthcare settings can learn from and replicate.

• The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Implementing and Evaluating Patient-Centered Clinical Decision Support Strategies in Real-World Settings(U18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.226.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA HS 24 003

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