The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), is the designated federal leader for developing a strategic approach to understanding error, safety reporting, and building a culture conducive to improving patient safety.  As a key component of this effort, AHRQ created the national Patient Safety Research Coordinating Center (AHRQ-PSRCC).  In 2004, NORC was awarded a multi-million dollar, multi-year contract to implement and operate the AHRQ-PSRCC.

The Center supports the needs of the Agency’s patient safety initiative and serves as a resource and support center linking all stakeholders in AHRQ’s patient safety initiative, including AHRQ patient safety awardees, AHRQ staff members, external stakeholders such as federal health agencies and quality organizations, and other end users of patient safety research. 

Specifically, the Center supports the Agency’s work by:

• providing technical assistance to awardees,
• monitoring a diverse array of patient safety projects,
• developing, implementing and maintaining electronic communications,
• conducting special topic conference calls,
• coordinating annual conferences,
• facilitating knowledge sharing among awardees and Agency staff,
• generating data and information in support of databases and reports undertaken by the Agency,
• engaging in dissemination and diffusion activities designed to have a positive impact on the safety and lives of patients and
• creating an inventory of existing patient safety incident reporting systems (PSIRS).

Currently, the AHRQ-PSRCC supports over 140 patient safety research awardees and maintains a private web portal of resources for AHRQ patient safety researchers.