The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will shut down its National Guidelines Clearinghouse website July 16 due to lack of federal funding.
After the clearinghouse — available at guideline.gov — shuts down, physicians and other clinicians will no longer have a free, one-stop shop to review and compare updated evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, though guidelines can be found through a variety of other sources. NGC was created by AHRQ, the American Medical Association and America's Health Insurance Plans.
It is possible another group will pick up the responsibilities of managing the resource on its own. "AHRQ is receiving expressions of interest from stakeholders interested in carrying on NGC's work," a statement on AHRQ's website said. "It is not clear at this time, however, when or if NGC (or something like NGC) will be online again. In addition, AHRQ has not yet determined whether, or to what extent, the Agency would have an ongoing role if a stakeholder were to continue to operate the NGC."
The elimination of the clearinghouse comes as the agency itself is on the chopping block. If President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2019 budget is approved, AHRQ would be eliminated and consolidated into the National Institutes of Health.
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