title: Improving the US health care system: action plan to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and improve quality.
abstract: The decisions made by stakeholders in the nation's health care system that affect the quality of care experienced by patients are too often made without the benefit of scientific evidence. A multidisciplinary set of investigators conducting health services research have traditionally filled this gap between research findings and clinical decision making, but several barriers are hindering this work. This article offers several recommendations-restructuring organizations, ensuring funding, developing infrastructure, strengthening the community of researchers, and forging new links among stakeholders-to promote high-quality information for health decision makers.
authors.affiliation: School of Publication Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400, USA. hugh_tilson@unc.edu
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tilson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Helms
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dowdy
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States