A growing body of evidence is demonstrating that multi-component interventions targeting patients, providers, and systems are most effective for improving care for the chronically ill 3-6. To speed the development and real world implementation of effective interventions, venues for exchanging information and problem-solving are critically important. Convening researchers, practitioners and funding agencies interested in improving care of the chronically ill provides an opportunity for advancing the national dialogue about interventions and system changes that can improve outcomes for patients with chronic illness, reduce health care costs, and accelerate innovation. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) have funded numerous research projects directed toward improving care for patients with chronic diseases. To provide a focused opportunity for knowledge exchange, and to synthesize the opportunities and challenges gleaned from this research, we propose to conduct a second National Congress on Improving Chronic Care, September 23-24, 2003. This Congress will again bring together leaders in practice innovation, chronic illness research, and quality improvement in order to meet the following specific aims: 1. Share promising chronic illness intervention and measurement ideas derived from quality improvement experience and research; 2. Identify challenges and questions from real world quality improvement that would benefit from further research; 3. Explore innovative approaches to improving clinical performance in chronic illness care; 4. Examine strategies to facilitate the integration of effective research interventions into clinical practice.
