Click here to apply online

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships
Rockville, MD

 

As part of the Department of Health and Human Services, AHRQ is the lead agency supporting the work of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In addition, AHRQ conducts research and collaborates with other agencies and organizations on efforts to improve the delivery of clinical preventive services. The USPSTF is an independent expert panel first established in 1984 within the U.S. Public Health Service with the mission to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of clinical preventive services and to formulate recommendations for primary care clinicians. Clinical Preventive Services (CPS) recommendations on a wide range of topics were issued by the first and the second Task Force in 1989 and 1996, respectively. The third USPSTF is revising and updating recommendations incrementally, grouped under screening, counseling and chemoprevention, giving priority to those topics on which there is new evidence or ongoing controversy – first of these updated recommendations were released starting April 2001.

The clinical preventive medicine rotation at AHRQ gives Preventive Medicine residents an in-depth experience in the process of developing evidence-based recommendations.  Residents work closely with AHRQ staff and USPSTF members in a variety of activities: conducting literature reviews of CPS topics; researching information on epidemiology and burden of preventable conditions addressed by CPS; reviewing and editing evidence-based reviews of clinical preventive services prepared by AHRQ Evidence –Based Practice Centers (EPCs); reviewing and summarizing external comments on draft recommendations; researching positions of other organizations; and editing and finalizing recommendations and rationale statements.  Other projects may involve developing implementation materials for USPSTF recommendations aimed at patients, clinicians, health plans, employers or policy makers.  Residents have the opportunity to participate in a variety of AHRQ meetings, conferences and seminars, including the USPSTF meetings, as well as didactic teaching and journal club sessions focusing on current issues and updates in clinical preventive medicine and evidence-based research. Additionally, they have the opportunity to propose and participate in intramural research projects on relevant issues of interest. A useful website to learn more about the USPSTF can be accessed using this link: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/.

 

Selected Projects
For current topics, please see the USPSTF website: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/topicsprog.htm.

Current research projects of Preventive Medicine residents include:

• Performing literature scans and topic summaries to assist the USPSTF in identifying recommendations for priority updating
• Developing work assignments that define the scope of the USPSTF review of the evidence for a clinical preventive service

Selection Criteria
Applicants will be evaluated based upon the following criteria:

• Demonstrated interest in prevention or primary care
• Demonstrated interest in domestic health policy
• Writing ability
• Past academic performance

Financial Support
A stipend of $3,638 a month will be paid to the resident, as well as a travel allowance of up to $250 a month to help defray commuting costs. 

 

For More Information
Questions about the rotation experience should be directed to Gloria Washington at AHRQ (Gloria.Washington@ahrq.hhs.gov or 301-427-1590).

Questions about the application process should be addressed to Flannery Peterson of APTR (frp@aptrweb.org or 202-463-0550, ext. 137).

 

 

^top