AIR researchers—nurses, physicians, psychologists, sociologists, economists, and public health experts—are at the forefront of understanding and solving the intertwined challenges of healthcare quality, costs, and access.
We work to advance high-quality, affordable, patient-centered care through relevant research, results-driven technical assistance, and rigorous evaluations that focus on what matters most to patients, families, clinicians, and other stakeholders.
Our Work
- AIR is helping the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to accelerate the uptake of evidence into routine healthcare practices. AIR developed an electronic evidence synthesis tool to make AHRQ’s evidence reviews more accessible and useful to health systems. Working with 8 learning health systems (LHS), AIR is offering technical assistance to integrate a Summary of Findings tool and Visual Dashboard into the LHS’ evidence review processes. AIR will gather and analyze data to understand the LHS’ experiences with the tools and how the tools can be enhanced.
- In another example of our efforts to redesign care delivery, AIR conducted rapid-cycle learning support and evaluation of quality improvement and technical assistance models for Upstream USA, a nonprofit working to expand economic opportunity and mobility by reducing unplanned pregnancy in the U.S. Upstream partners with states to provide health centers with patient-centered, evidence-based training and technical assistance to help ensure all women have same-day access to the birth control method of their choice. AIR’s research led to 21 recommendations to improve Upstream’s quality improvement and technical assistance model and 7 approaches to further reduce barriers to increase impact on contraceptive access.
- In a further example, in a project for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, AIR is developing an evidence-based assessment and referral toolkit for opioid use disorder (OUD) to help clinicians improve care of people with disabilities and chronic pain related to musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis. Bridging research and practice by applying the best science and methods tested in real-world settings is fundamental to improving care delivery and solving public health threats like the opioid epidemic. That’s why AIR established the Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions (AIR CARES) to share best practices in response to substance use disorders.
