5th Annual Forum for Improving Children's Health Care

Natl Initiative/Children'S Hlthcare Qual, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

The National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) requests support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for Small Conference Support for the Annual Forum for Improving Children's Health Care. The objectives of the Forum for Improving Children's Health Care are to: 1. Build will for improvement in care by highlighting successful evidence-based models and interventions and create a community of dedicated professionals who are working to transform health care for children (will). 2. Disseminate strategies for implementing valid findings of health services research and other tools. When evidence-based strategies are not yet available, best practices from the field based on theoretically sound conceptual frameworks for change are presented as promising approaches for further field tests (ideas). 3. Inspire collaboration and information sharing among provider organizations and across the multiple stakeholder levels affecting children's health care across the world-patient and family, communities, health care organizations, and for the broad political and cultural environments (execution). 4. Mobilize efforts to make policy changes that provide better health care for children (execution and building capacity). This is the only conference that focuses specifically on improving the quality of health care services for children, spanning the continuum of health care delivery and clinical content areas. The conference attracts leaders in all aspects of children's health care with the capacity to influence system performance. It provides an effective vehicle for communicating findings of health services research and translating those findings into practice. Funding from the agency will enable the Forum to reach a larger audience by increasing attendance in its targeted market, by enhancing the quality of the conference presentation through use of appropriate technology, and by preparing materials for dissemination through print and electronic media. The Forum will take place from March 16-18, 2006.