Improving the US health care system: Action plan to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and improve quality

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.