Which agency funded health IT research as a result of quality improvement emphasis?

• A. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• B. National Institutes of Health
• C. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• D. Institute of Medicine

Answer: (C)

Focusing on how technology can drive better care outcomes is central to health services research aimed at quality improvement. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is the government entity dedicated to funding studies that improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care, including research on health information technology like electronic health records, decision support, and data analytics to support quality improvement. That makes it the best fit for funding health IT research tied to quality improvement.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mainly administer payment and policy programs; NIH funds broad biomedical and clinical research; the Institute of Medicine (now National Academy of Medicine) provides policy guidance and conducts studies but does not primarily fund health IT research.