§299. Mission and duties

(a) In general

There is established within the Public Health Service an agency to be known as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which shall be headed by a director appointed by the Secretary. The Secretary shall carry out this subchapter acting through the Director.

(b) Mission

The purpose of the Agency is to enhance the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health services, and access to such services, through the establishment of a broad base of scientific research and through the promotion of improvements in clinical and health system practices, including the prevention of diseases and other health conditions. The Agency shall promote health care quality improvement by conducting and supporting-

(1) research that develops and presents scientific evidence regarding all aspects of health care, including-

(A) the development and assessment of methods for enhancing patient participation in their own care and for facilitating shared patient-physician decision-making;

(B) the outcomes, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of health care practices, including preventive measures and long-term care;

(C) existing and innovative technologies;

(D) the costs and utilization of, and access to health care;

(E) the ways in which health care services are organized, delivered, and financed and the interaction and impact of these factors on the quality of patient care;

(F) methods for measuring quality and strategies for improving quality; and

(G) ways in which patients, consumers, purchasers, and practitioners acquire new information about best practices and health benefits, the determinants and impact of their use of this information;

(2) the synthesis and dissemination of available scientific evidence for use by patients, consumers, practitioners, providers, purchasers, policy makers, and educators; and

(3) initiatives to advance private and public efforts to improve health care quality.

(c) Requirements with respect to rural and inner-city areas and priority populations

(1) Research, evaluations and demonstration projects

In carrying out this subchapter, the Director shall conduct and support research and evaluations, and support demonstration projects, with respect to-

(A) the delivery of health care in inner-city areas, and in rural areas (including frontier areas); and

(B) health care for priority populations, which shall include-

(i) low-income groups;

(ii) minority groups;

(iii) women;

(iv) children;

(v) the elderly; and

(vi) individuals with special health care needs, including individuals with disabilities and individuals who need chronic care or end-of-life health care.

(2) Process to ensure appropriate research

The Director shall establish a process to ensure that the requirements of paragraph (1) are reflected in the overall portfolio of research conducted and supported by the Agency.

(3) Office of Priority Populations

The Director shall establish an Office of Priority Populations to assist in carrying out the requirements of paragraph (1).

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, §901, as added Pub. L. 106–129, §2(a), Dec. 6, 1999, 113 Stat. 1653 .)

Prior Provisions

A prior section 299, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, §901, as added Pub. L. 101–239, title VI, §6103(a), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2189 ; amended Pub. L. 102–410, §2(a), Oct. 13, 1992, 106 Stat. 2094 , established the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 106–129.

Another prior section 299, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, §900, as added Oct. 6, 1965, Pub. L. 89–239, §2, 79 Stat. 926 ; amended Oct. 30, 1970, Pub. L. 91–515, title I, §102, 84 Stat. 1297 , set forth Congressional declaration of purpose of this subchapter to encourage and assist regional cooperative arrangements among medical schools, research institutions, and hospitals for research, training and medical data exchange, and to improve quality and capacity of health manpower and facilities available throughout the nation, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–117, §12(d), Oct. 7, 1985, 99 Stat. 495 .

A prior section 901 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 299a of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–117.

Construction

Pub. L. 106–129, §2(b), Dec. 6, 1999, 113 Stat. 1670 , provided that:

"(1) In general.-Section 901(a) of the Public Health Service Act [subsec. (a) of this section] (as added by subsection (a) of this section) applies as a redesignation of the agency that carried out title IX of such Act [this subchapter] on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 6, 1999], and not as the termination of such agency and the establishment of a different agency. The amendment made by subsection (a) of this section [enacting this subchapter] does not affect appointments of the personnel of such agency who were employed at the agency on the day before such date, including the appointments of members of advisory councils or study sections of the agency who were serving on the day before such date of enactment.

"(2) References.-Any reference in law to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research is deemed to be a reference to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and any reference in law to the Administrator for Health Care Policy and Research is deemed to be a reference to the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality."

Transitional and Savings Provisions

Section 6103(f) of Pub. L. 101–239 provided that personnel of the Department of Health and Human Services employed, and Department assets used in connection with Department functions, on Dec. 19, 1989, be transferred to the Administrator for Health Care Policy and Research for appropriate allocation, and provided that orders, rules, regulations, grants, contracts, certificates, licenses, privileges, and other determinations, actions, or official documents would continue in effect according to their terms unless changed pursuant to law.

Executive Order No. 13017

Ex. Ord. No. 13017, Sept. 5, 1996, 61 F.R. 47659, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 13040, Mar. 25, 1997, 62 F.R. 14773; Ex. Ord. No. 13056, July 21, 1997, 62 F.R. 39415, which established the Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 13138, §3(a), Sept. 30, 1999, 64 F.R. 53880, set out as a note under section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 299b–2 of this title.