Information on AHRQ's most-searched topics are included below and in the A to Z menu above.
To promote stronger engagement, AHRQ offers tools and research to help patients, families, and health professionals work together as partners.
All-payer claims databases (APCDs) are large State databases that include medical claims, pharmacy claims, dental claims, and eligibility and provider files collected from private and public payers.
Antimicrobial stewardship programs are coordinated programs within a health care setting that promote the appropriate use of antimicrobials, thereby improving patient outcomes, reducing antibiotic resistance, and decreasing the spread of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common types of healthcare-associated infections. Most cases of CAUTI are preventable. Since October 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer reimburses costs associated with hospital-acquired CAUTI.
Diagnostic error is a significant and under-recognized threat to patient safety. AHRQ is funding research to better understand how these errors happen and what can be done to prevent them.