Learn More About the History of This Site

The TalkingQuality Web site was first launched by the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Department of Health and Human Services, in Spring 2001. It was developed by the Work Group on Consumer Health Information, an interdisciplinary group of researchers, purchasers, consumer advocates, health care providers, and government officials.

The Work Group’s purpose was to develop and implement strategies to support public and private sector efforts aimed at improving the communication of health care quality information to consumers. It was convened and supported by three Federal agencies: AHRQ, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS; then known as HCFA), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Created in Spring 1999, the Work Group disbanded in Winter 2001.

In addition to producing the TalkingQuality Web site, the Work Group developed a comprehensive Research and Action Agenda that was presented at a national conference in December 2000: “Informing Consumers about Health Care Quality: New Directions for Research and Action.”