How State-Based Co-Ops Can Improve Primary Care Quality

Patients usually enter the U.S. healthcare system through primary care and build trusted relationships with their primary care clinicians. That’s why high-quality primary care is the foundation of a strong healthcare system and essential for improving the health of all Americans. Implementing high quality primary care requires ongoing quality improvement (QI) to ensure practitioners use the latest evidence. However, the time and resources required to implement QI programs can be daunting for primary care practices that face financial, workload, and other challenges. Fortunately, primary care extension programs can provide the external QI support practices need.  

A new how-to guide from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) shares information and guidance for groups developing healthcare extension programs for primary care settings and beyond. Developed under the EvidenceNOW: Building State Capacity technical assistance and evaluation contract with Abt Global, the guide includes approaches, lessons learned, and examples from AHRQ’s EvidenceNOW initiative.  

The guide includes information about:  

• The value of establishing programs that include partners from across multiple organizations and disciplines  
• Key steps for developing and running a multiorganization cooperative to support statewide QI, including conducting a landscape review and needs assessment, developing a mission statement, inviting partners, developing a governance structure, and assessing partner engagement 
• Strategies for equitable practice recruitment, engagement, and retention  
• Information about how to select and tailor QI services  
• Strategies to plan for program sustainability and ongoing funding.