Purpose
The Innovation Café is designed to highlight new findings, products, tools, best practices, and implementation methods to improve health care safety and quality, with particular emphasis on using health IT to bridge the gap between research and practice. The Café will promote the dissemination of new advances in patient safety and health information technology.

Who can apply?
Applications are encouraged from AHRQ grantees in all areas of health care, including but not limited to provider organizations, practitioners, professional societies and managed care entities

• Demonstrate progress in reducing adverse events, building resistance to failure, and learning from failures; or expand our understanding of how health IT can be used to improve the overall safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of health care;
• Are tested to the extent possible;
• Are practical to implement;
• Are creative and innovative; and
• Are generalizable (i.e., transferable across organizations and settings)

Grantees are encouraged to explore creative formats for presenting their work in the Exhibit Hall, such as photographs, newsletters, reports and other documents, as well as demonstrations using computers, hand-held devices or other appropriate technologies. For visual displays, please note the following acceptable formats:

• Poster displays no larger than can be mounted on a 4ft. high x 8ft. wide bulletin board
• Table top displays or demonstrations to be presented on tables no larger than 3ft x 6ft

Note on Vendors: We encourage AHRQ grantees to invite vendors who have made substantial, direct contributions to the AHRQ grantee's funded project. However, vendors should present only as part of a grantee display, not independently. All displays should reflect work under AHRQ-funded projects. Please email AHRQConference@blseamon.com for further guidance.

Click here for Application Form

Submission Requirements & Directions

1. An application and a one-page abstract that includes an overall summary of your project/initiative is required. The abstract should include approaches or strategies, obstacles, if any, and results or successes with data (if available). You should also include the application of your project/initiative to quality or safety and, conclusions, lessons learned, and future directions.
2. Abstracts are to be typed in an MSWord document, single-spaced on 8 ½ by 11-inch paper with 1 inch margins and no less than 12 pt. font;
3. Abstracts and applications are to be submitted via email by Friday, April 22, 2005 to AHRQConference@blseamon.com.
4. Please complete your application and email your abstract to AHRQConference@blseamon.com.

All abstracts will undergo a blind review by conference planning committee members. Review criteria include significance of the work to the field of safety, clarity of presentation and writing quality. Notification of acceptance will be made by April 30 th 2005. Presenters in the Innovation Café are expected to register for the meeting and assume all arrangements and costs related to the display. Accepted abstracts will be included in Conference materials.

The Program Committee reserves the right to determine abstract acceptance and presentation format and may suggest modifications. The deadline for receipt of applications is April 22. 2005. Applicants should direct any questions to AHRQConference@blseamon.com.