APTR and 150 undersigned members of the Friends of AHRQ respectfully request no less than $500 million in funding for the Agency for Healthcare and Research and Quality (AHRQ). This request reflects an inflation adjustment and the demonstrated need to expand and accelerate health services research (HSR) investments to inform decision-making on the health care system as it recovers from the pandemic.

The RAND Corporation released a report in 2020 as called for by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which identified AHRQ as 'the only agency that has statutory authorizations to generate HSR and be the home for federal primary care research (PCR), and the unique focus of its research portfolio on systems-based outcomes and approaches to implementing improvement across health care settings and populations in the United States.'

As the lead agency for health services research and primary care research, AHRQ provides the resources that policymakers, health system leaders, medical providers, and patients need to determine the effectiveness of health systems delivery. In order to deliver better outcomes, we need to be able to differentiate which healthcare interventions work, for whom they work, and how to implement them, and HSR, PCR, and AHRQ are the process through which we develop that knowledge. 

The benefits of investing in HSR through AHRQ transcend the pandemic and provide benefits in saved lives, better value care, and improved patient outcomes across the health system.

Friends of AHRQ Sign-on Letter

APTR invited faculty and members to the second webinar in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion series, focusing on the assessment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in curricula and course syllabi. This interactive webinar described a self-assessment tool created by Rutgers University School of Public Health and adapted by Boston University School of Public Health for faculty to help align their teaching with their commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Boston University School of Public Health strives to recognize and support the diversity of its students and their experiences, whether in the classroom, in the community, or in their personal lives by having its faculty use this Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Syllabus Assessment Tool. The self-assessment asked faculty to consider eight dimensions of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice and reflect on the presence or incorporation of these dimensions into their syllabus, classroom, or teaching methods. The syllabus assessment tool is designed to identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth, is non-evaluative, and is meant to act as a guide and planning tool for faculty and administrators.

The BU tool’s creators walked attendees through the need for, design, deployment, and potential impact of the tool, and addressed participant questions. Participants then joined small-group discussion breakout rooms led by the presenters to discuss the meaning of each domain, options for deploying the tool, reflections, and resources needed to begin applying the tool to update syllabi. 

VIEW WEBINAR ON-DEMAND

The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) offers rotations for preventive medicine residents and primary care residents with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program, based at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The clinical preventive medicine rotation at AHRQ provides an in-depth experience in the process of developing evidence-based recommendations.

Residents may have the opportunity to participate in a variety of AHRQ meetings, conferences and seminars, including the USPSTF meetings and conference calls with USPSTF members, as well as didactic teaching and journal club sessions focusing on current issues and updates in clinical preventive medicine and evidence-based research. 

Applicants from diverse backgrounds and perspectives are encouraged to apply. 

APPLY NOW >> Extended Deadline: January 17, 2023

Accelerating the Teaching of Climate Justice Webinar

Climate Justice Course - Morehouse School of Medicine

This presentation described a 2-credit hour Climate Justice elective utilizing a flipped classroom, seminar format. The flipped classroom format promotes an interactive learning environment that supports active learning.

Heat Related Impact of Climate Change Among Incarcerated Individuals in the US - University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

This presentation described a course containing three presentations to be used in health care education settings. The curriculum is supported with optional activities and video supplements, a comprehensive resource library, and instructor manual to explore the topics further.

Accelerating the Teaching of Migrant Health Webinar

The teaching materials developed integrate and build upon the resources found in the APTR Migrant Health Resource Library.

Bridges to Health Equity: Haitian Migrant and Refugee Populations - Morehouse School of Medicine

This presentation describes a 3-module lesson on the health inequities and health care vulnerabilities of migrant and refugee populations. The unique experiences of Haitian migrants and refugees are explored through the lens of trauma informed care and community engagement.

Migrant Health Teaching Toolkit - University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center

This presentation provided an overview of a new teaching toolkit focused on addressing the health needs of migrant agricultural populations produced by the University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education (SW Ag Center). It covers occupational risk factors and non-occupational risk factors and integrates and expands on the teaching resources available in the APTR Migrant Health Resource Library.

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American Journal of Preventive Medicine Impact Factor Reaches New High

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, official journal of APTR and the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), has achieved a 2021 Impact Factor of 6.604. Impact Factor is a numerical representation of a journal’s scholarly impact, calculated based on the number of citations in a given year of content published in the previous 2 years.

The 2021 Impact Factor represents an increase of more than 1.5 points from the previous year and is the highest in the journal’s 37-year history. AJPM’s rapidly rising Impact Factor has occurred in tandem with a marked increase in submissions since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 2,000 articles submitted each in 2020 and 2021—a 23% increase over the average number of submissions the previous 5 years.

Achieving an Impact Factor over 5.00—the mark of a “high impact” journal and a figure that was first surpassed by AJPM in 2020—has been a goal of Editor-in-Chief Dr. Matthew L. Boulton and his editorial team since he assumed leadership of the journal in 2014. During his tenure, the journal has also undertaken other major initiatives including creating a digital archive of previously print-only material from 1985–1997; implementing special initiatives such as the Article of the Year and From the Archive features; redesigning the cover, website, and branding; markedly increasing social media and other outreach activity; playing a key role in launching an affiliated journal, AJPM Focus; and working closely with the sponsoring societies on conference presentations and the more regular publication of society content in the journal. The AJPM editorial team looks forward to capitalizing on the journal’s momentum to achieve even greater scholarly impact and reach in the future.