Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
An official website of the United States government
Winter 2023
Director's LetterWhy QUERI Matters to Veterans Amy Kilbourne, PhD, MPH, Director of QUERI Recently we were asked by a VHA healthcare leader to describe in more detail how QUERI helps Veterans and why it matters. What QUERI doesThe mission of VA’s Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) is to improve the health of all Veterans by more rapidly implementing scientific evidence into routine practice. QUERI funds VA-employed scientists from across the United States to conduct national implementation and evaluation initiatives that address major healthcare priorities identified by VA providers, leaders, and Veterans. QUERI also trains the VA healthcare workforce in implementation, quality improvement, and evaluation best practices, leading to improved access to state-of-the-art treatments for Veterans. In doing so, QUERI’s definition of success is having more frontline providers implementing effective treatments using quality improvement methods—and rigorously evaluating their impacts to ensure continuous improvement in care for Veterans. QUERI, with an annual budget of $26.2 million and in partnership with more than 70 VISN and VA national program office leaders, has disseminated over 200 research-informed strategies and products, supporting over 26,000 VA employees across the U.S. in delivering evidence-based care to Veterans and their families. Why it mattersIt can take years to translate scientifically supported treatments to the patients who need them the most; even so, only a fraction of treatments gets fully implemented. The reasons for this research-to-practice gap are complex and involve barriers, such as competing demands across providers and clinics as well as limited opportunities to involve Veterans, their caregivers, and families in the treatment implementation and dissemination process. Through its 22-plus year history of designing rigorous implementation of best practices, QUERI can help overcome these barriers. QUERI does this through the deployment of tools and methods that providers and organizations can use to speed the uptake of effective treatments to reach Veterans more readily. As part of its mission, QUERI funds more than 40 centers across the U.S. devoted to rigorous translational science, providing implementation and evaluation support to ensure effective treatments work at the frontline level for providers and Veterans. Below we feature several examples of how QUERI has made a substantial impact on Veteran health through promoting rigorous evidence-based policy, enhancing workforce diversity, and maximizing health care value. Amy Kilbourne, PhD, MPH Melissa Braganza, MPH |
» Next
