Emergency Care Research Institute

ECRI IS ORGANIZED EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES WITHIN THE MEANING OF IRC SECTION 501(C)(3). ECRI'S MISSION IS ADVANCING EFFECTIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTHCARE GLOBALLY. ECRI'S MISSION IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH ITS PUBLISHING, MEMBERSHIP AND INFORMATION PROGRAMS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONSULTING PROGRAMS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

RESEARCH AND EVALUATION PROGRAMS, MEMBERSHIPS, PUBLICATIONS AND INFORMATION:ECRI'S APPLIED RESEARCH AND EVALUATION, MEMBERSHIPS, AND PUBLICATIONS ALL FOCUS ON IMPROVING HEALTHCARE SAFETY, QUALITY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS IN SETTINGS ACROSS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, FROM ACUTE CARE TO AMBULATORY CARE TO LONG-TERM CARE AND HOME CARE. THESE PROGRAMS ARE USED BY HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, POLICYMAKERS, PAYERS, THE PUBLIC, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND OTHERS IN THE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, ECRI DISSEMINATES THE RESULTS OF ITS INTERNALLY CONDUCTED RESEARCH AND EVALUATION, OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE OBTAINED THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES, AND OF INFORMATION GATHERED FROM MANY OTHER SOURCES. ECRI CONDUCTS STUDIES AND DISSEMINATES INFORMATION AND TOOLS THAT PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM UNSAFE AND INEFFECTIVE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, AND UNSAFE PRACTICES; IMPROVE PATIENT SAFETY BY PREVENTING MEDICAL ERRORS, PATIENT ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND DEATH; ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DRUGS, DEVICES, PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES; AND REDUCE COSTS. EACH YEAR, ECRI DISSEMINATES HUNDREDS OF GUIDANCE ARTICLES, ALERTS, AND ADVISORIES THAT FOCUS ON WAYS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY, SAFETY, AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF HEALTH CARE. EACH YEAR, ECRI PUBLISHES A MONOGRAPH ON THE TOP 10 HEALTH TECHNOLOGY HAZARDS TO WHICH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SHOULD BE PAYING THE MOST ATTENTION, ALONG WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALLEVIATING RISKS AS WELL AS OTHER TOP TEN REPORTS WITH IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. ECRI'S WORK IS INTERNATIONAL IN SCOPE AND REQUIRES HIGHLY SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE. TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PATIENT CARE AND HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY, ECRI INDEPENDENTLY INVESTIGATES SAFETY ACCIDENTS; PUBLISHES PRODUCT AND SAFETY ALERTS; COLLECTS, AGGREGATES AND ANALYZES ADVERSE PATIENT SAFETY EVENT DATA AND COST DATA FROM HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS; DISSEMINATES LESSONS LEARNED; INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATES AND VERIFIES THE EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEDICAL PROCEDURES AND TECHNOLOGIES; AND PROVIDES TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE ON HAZARDS AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT. ECRI MAINTAINS SEVERAL OF THE LARGEST DATABASES ON MEDICAL DEVICE HAZARDS AND RECALLS AND PRICES, WHICH COVERS THOUSANDS OF PRODUCTS RANGING FROM A SIMPLE THERMOMETER TO COMPLEX, SOPHISTICATED LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. ECRI'S EVALUATION PROGRAM CONDUCTS HANDS-ON LABORATORY TESTING TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF MEDICAL DEVICES THAT ARE ON THE MARKET. IT COVERS ALL TYPES OF DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICAL PRODUCTS, FROM MAMMOGRAPHY UNITS TO SURGICAL LASERS TO NEEDLE STICK PREVENTION DEVICES. THIS PROGRAM ENABLES ECRI TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS, THEIR SAFE IMPLEMENTATION AND USE, AND THEIR COST. ECRI DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINS A WORLDWIDE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR INDEXING MEDICAL DEVICES USED BY HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT REGULATORY SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE AND IS A FRAMEWORK FOR TRACKING HAZARD AND RECALL INFORMATION. EACH YEAR, ECRI HOLDS SCORES OF MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS, WEBINARS, AND AUDIO CONFERENCES ADDRESSING BEST PRACTICES, PATIENT SAFETY, EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION AND USE OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH SERVICES. ECRI PROVIDES A UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM AND CREDENTIAL FOR HEALTHCARE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICERS.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: ECRI PROMOTES IMPROVED METHODS OF PATIENT CARE BY PROVIDING THE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY AND FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES WITH A WIDE RANGE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON SAFETY, QUALITY, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS. ECRI'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS INCLUDE PROVIDING INFORMATION TOOLS AND SUPPORT FOR THE BUYERS AND USERS OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY; DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A WORLDWIDE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR INDEXING MEDICAL DEVICES; INVESTIGATING AND ANALYZING ACCIDENTS AND EVENTS INVOLVING PATIENT SAFETY; PROVIDING ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF HEALTHCARE SAFETY AND QUALITY; PROVIDING EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH AND EFFECTIVENESS REPORTS TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES; CONDUCTING HANDS - ON LABORATORY TESTING TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF MEDICAL DEVICES THAT ARE ON THE MARKET; DESIGNING AND MAINTAINING A CLEARINGHOUSE OF CRITICAL CLINICAL GUIDELINES TO THE PUBLIC; DESIGNING AND MAINTAINING PATIENT SAFETY REPORTING AND ANALYSIS PROGRAMS; AND RUNNING A FEDERALLY CERTIFIED PATIENT SAFETY ORGANIZATION. ECRI TAKES REPORTS ON MEDICAL DEVICE PROBLEMS FROM ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, ANALYZES THE PROBLEMS, AND DISSEMINATES RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PUBLIC FOR SAFE PRACTICES. THE FORM FOR SUBMITTING REPORTS IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE OBTAINED THROUGH SUCH ACTIVITIES ARE USED EXTENSIVELY IN ECRI'S PUBLICATIONS FOR THE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY, THEREBY PROMOTING AND MAKING POSSIBLE IMPROVED METHODS OF PATIENT CARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.