system evolves to be more integrated vertically through hospital and insurance company
integrated models and horizontally via accountable care organizations (ACOs). As quality
improvement (QI) teams address clinical problems, research teams study implementation,
and awareness for prompt assessment and actionable adaptations accrues, the methods for
pursuing rapid-cycle research are emerging. This document explores the breadth of
methodologies conventionally associated with QI in primary care settings, discusses the
appropriateness of such strategies across evaluation objectives, and provides practical
discussions about tools to accelerate the assessment-to-adoption cycle.
Purpose: This document is designed as a practical guide to the uses of and methods for
conducting rapid-cycle research. It was developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ) Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) Resource Center to:
address a demand of researchers and implementers, including the primary care PBRN
community to describe the process of identifying opportunities to pursue rapid-cycle
research, and
provide in-depth exploration of some methodologies of interest.
Audience: Research teams conducting health services research in primary care and other
health settings; quality improvement staff in health care settings, and physicians and other
providers involved in practice-based research networks.
Definition of Rapid-Cycle Research: The working definition of rapid-cycle research for this
document is a process by which practical problems are identified and addressed using
analysis methods that are incremental and contextually informed. Six phases by which to
conduct this rapid iterative process are outlined and described with the emphasis on the
preparation phases of designing a study
