The Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization (HCFO) initiative is issuing a solicitation for proposals examining the use of consumer information in the consumer-directed health care (CDHC) model. Public and private policymakers need to better understand what kinds of information to provide to meet the new consumer demands that CDHC will generate, and how to provide that information in a way that enables consumers to make appropriate, timely decisions.
Recognizing that not all consumers have the same intellectual and cultural resources and cognitive abilities, it is also important for policymakers to understand how to tailor information to specific subgroups, such as non-English speaking persons, those with functional or cognitive impairments, or those with literacy problems. Therefore, the role of information intermediaries is also an important research area. Prior research, including a number of HCFO-sponsored projects, has begun exploring consumer decision-making. In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) have funded considerable research developing tools such as HEDIS and CAHPS, and assessing their use. However, a number of unanswered questions remain.
Funds available under this solicitation total approximately $400,000. Although there is no pre-determined funding amount or grant period, up to three projects may be funded under this solicitation, depending on the scope of the projects proposed and the quality of the applications.
While this solicitation is open to all qualified applicants, we will require a letter indicating an intention to submit by Friday, July 22, 2005. This letter should be no more than two pages, and should include a brief description of the proposed research, an estimated budget and timeframe, and the qualifications of key staff (principal investigator). We may contact prospective applicants if we believe the proposed project does not fit within the scope of this special solicitation, but applicants should assume they may submit a full proposal if they are not contacted.
Projects submitted under this solicitation should follow the regular HCFO application instructions. Unlike the general HCFO solicitation, this program features a batched application process, and all proposals submitted under this solicitation will be reviewed simultaneously. If a letter of intent is submitted, applicants may complete a full proposal. Full proposals are due on or before Friday, August 19, 2005.
For more information, please see the full solicitation, which will be available on HCFO’s Web site beginning Friday, June 24.
