From 2015 through 2017, Health Quality Innovators (HQI) participated in the Heart of Virginia Healthcare Collaborative, one of seven cooperatives funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s EvidenceNOW Model. HQI’s practice facilitators helped small- to medium-sized primary care practices build capacity for quality improvement through three months of active onsite and virtual coaching followed by nine months of maintenance coaching. This led to better clinical processes, communication and teamwork to help patients adopt the ABCS of cardiovascular disease prevention: Aspirin in high-risk individuals, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management and Smoking cessation. Our encounters with practices were documented in a diary-style format which was shared with AHRQ researchers.

Through Learning and Action Networks (LANs), the HQI team facilitated peer-to-peer learning and sharing among practices using webinars, face-to-face events and an online community. In addition, they connected practices with expert faculty and distributed bi-weekly email messages to encourage and challenge practice staff to consider new ideas and helped them overcome barriers. The team also contributed to a primary care implementation toolkit and all the tools in AHRQ’s EvidenceNOW Tools for Change.

This work was recently highlighted in an Annals of Family Medicine special report, “What AHRQ Learned While Working to Transform Primary Care.” Read the full report to learn how HQI’s contributions to this important initiative support and strengthen the essential work of primary care.