More about the EvidenceNOW Key Driver Diagram

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed an innovative model for supporting primary care practice improvement with the overarching aim of improving health care quality by increasing the capacity of primary care practices to implement patient-centered outcomes research findings. The model originated from EvidenceNOW, a multiyear AHRQ grant initiative designed to advance the adoption of clinical and organizational evidence in small- and medium-sized primary care practices.

The EvidenceNOW model is grounded in a key driver diagram. A key driver diagram shows what contributes to (or “drives”) the achievement of an overall quality improvement goal (“aim”) and the actions (“change strategies”) that support accomplishing each key driver. A key driver diagram is a useful tool for understanding what it takes to achieve an improvement goal, and for organizing improvement work.

AHRQ developed the EvidenceNOW model’s key driver diagram with extensive input from EvidenceNOW grantees,* practice facilitators participating in the initiative, and other experts in primary care quality improvement. The key driver diagram includes six key drivers essential to accomplishing EvidenceNOW’s aim:

• Key Driver 1: Seek, select, and customize the best evidence for use by the practice.
• Key Driver 2: Implement a data-driven quality improvement process to integrate evidence into practice procedures.
• Key Driver 3: Optimize health information systems to extract data and support use of evidence in practice.
• Key Driver 4: Create and support high functioning teams to deliver high-quality evidence-based care.
• Key Driver 5: Engage patients and families in evidence-based care and quality improvement.
• Key Driver 6: Nurture leadership and create a culture of continuous learning and evidence-based practice.

Working with the EvidenceNOW community, AHRQ also has identified tools and resources that can be used in implementing each change strategy and key driver. Access the searchable collection of over 100 tools and resources here.

Access the EvidenceNOW model's key driver diagram here.

* The following EvidenceNOW grantees made significant contributions to the development of the EvidenceNOW Key Driver Diagram:

• Healthy Hearts in the Heartland (Midwest Cooperative)
• Healthy Hearts NYC (New York City Cooperative)
• Heart Health Now! Advancing Heart Health in NC Primary Care (North Carolina Cooperative)
• Healthy Hearts Northwest (Northwest Cooperative)
• Healthy Hearts for Oklahoma (Oklahoma Cooperative)
• EvidenceNOW Southwest (Southwest Cooperative)
• Heart of Virginia Healthcare (Virginia Cooperative)
• Evaluating System Change to Advance Learning and Take Evidence to Scale (ESCALATES) (National Evaluation Team)