
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC299b-1]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 6A--PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
 
       SUBCHAPTER VII--AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY
 
                Part B--Health Care Improvement Research
 
Sec. 299b-1. Private-public partnerships to improve organization 
        and delivery
        

(a) Support for efforts to develop information on quality

                (1) Scientific and technical support

        In its role as the principal agency for health care research and 
    quality, the Agency may provide scientific and technical support for 
    private and public efforts to improve health care quality, including 
    the activities of accrediting organizations.

                       (2) Role of the Agency

        With respect to paragraph (1), the role of the Agency shall 
    include--
            (A) the identification and assessment of methods for the 
        evaluation of the health of--
                (i) enrollees in health plans by type of plan, provider, 
            and provider arrangements; and
                (ii) other populations, including those receiving long-
            term care services;

            (B) the ongoing development, testing, and dissemination of 
        quality measures, including measures of health and functional 
        outcomes;
            (C) the compilation and dissemination of health care quality 
        measures developed in the private and public sector;
            (D) assistance in the development of improved health care 
        information systems;
            (E) the development of survey tools for the purpose of 
        measuring participant and beneficiary assessments of their 
        health care; and
            (F) identifying and disseminating information on mechanisms 
        for the integration of information on quality into purchaser and 
        consumer decision-making processes.

(b) Centers for education and research on therapeutics

                           (1) In general

        The Secretary, acting through the Director and in consultation 
    with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall establish a program 
    for the purpose of making one or more grants for the establishment 
    and operation of one or more centers to carry out the activities 
    specified in paragraph (2).

                       (2) Required activities

        The activities referred to in this paragraph are the following:
            (A) The conduct of state-of-the-art research for the 
        following purposes:
                (i) To increase awareness of--
                    (I) new uses of drugs, biological products, and 
                devices;
                    (II) ways to improve the effective use of drugs, 
                biological products, and devices; and
                    (III) risks of new uses and risks of combinations of 
                drugs and biological products.

                (ii) To provide objective clinical information to the 
            following individuals and entities:
                    (I) Health care practitioners and other providers of 
                health care goods or services.
                    (II) Pharmacists, pharmacy benefit managers and 
                purchasers.
                    (III) Health maintenance organizations and other 
                managed health care organizations.
                    (IV) Health care insurers and governmental agencies.
                    (V) Patients and consumers.

                (iii) To improve the quality of health care while 
            reducing the cost of health care through--
                    (I) an increase in the appropriate use of drugs, 
                biological products, or devices; and
                    (II) the prevention of adverse effects of drugs, 
                biological products, and devices and the consequences of 
                such effects, such as unnecessary hospitalizations.

            (B) The conduct of research on the comparative 
        effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and safety of drugs, 
        biological products, and devices.
            (C) Such other activities as the Secretary determines to be 
        appropriate, except that a grant may not be expended to assist 
        the Secretary in the review of new drugs, biological products, 
        and devices.

(c) Reducing errors in medicine

    The Director shall conduct and support research and build private-
public partnerships to--
        (1) identify the causes of preventable health care errors and 
    patient injury in health care delivery;
        (2) develop, demonstrate, and evaluate strategies for reducing 
    errors and improving patient safety; and
        (3) disseminate such effective strategies throughout the health 
    care industry.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, Sec. 912, as added Pub. L. 106-129, 
Sec. 2(a), Dec. 6, 1999, 113 Stat. 1656.)


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 299b-1, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IX, 
Sec. 912, as added Pub. L. 101-239, title VI, Sec. 6103(a), Dec. 19, 
1989, 103 Stat. 2192; amended Pub. L. 102-410, Secs. 5(a)(1), (c)(1), 
6(b), Oct. 13, 1992, 106 Stat. 2096, 2097, 2100, related to the duties 
of the Office of the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care, 
prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 106-129.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1320b-12 of this title.
