Stakeholder-engaged co-design and implementation of web-based tools to enhance the dissemination and implementation of AHRQ EPC reports

Abstract

Introduction: A mission-critical aspect of learning health systems (LHSs) is the provision of evidence-based practice. One source of such evidence is provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) through rigorous systematic reviews, termed evidence reports that synthesize available evidence on nominated topics of interest. However, the AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) program recognizes that the production of high-quality evidence reviews does not guarantee or promote their use and usability in practice. Methods: To make these reports more relevant to LHSs and promote evidence dissemination, AHRQ awarded a contract to the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and its Kaiser Permanente ACTION (KPNW ACTION) partner to design and implement web-based tools to meet the gap in dissemination and implementation of EPC reports in LHSs. We used a co-production approach to accomplish this work across three phases of activity: planning, co-design, and implementation between 2018 and 2021. We describe the methods and results and discuss implications for future efforts. Results: Web-based information tools that provide clinically relevant summaries with clear visual representations from the AHRQ EPC systematic evidence reports may be used by LHSs to increase awareness and accessibility of EPC reports, formalize and enhance LHSs' evidence review infrastructure, develop system-specific protocols and care pathways, improve practice at the point of care, and train and educate. Conclusions: The co-design of these tools and facilitated implementation generated an approach to making EPC reports more accessible and allows for more widespread application of systematic review results in supporting evidence-based practices in LHSs.