ECRI (originally founded as Emergency Care Research Institute) is an independent

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

tasked with "improving the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of care across all healthcare settings worldwide."

History

In the early 1960s, Joel J. Nobel, a surgeon and inventor, founded the institute"ECRI Institute. YouTube. Retrieved 5 March 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWGQwC3pjRo" after a four-year-old boy died when a

resuscitator A resuscitator is a device using positive pressure to inflate the lungs of an unconscious person who is not breathing, in order to keep them oxygenated and alive. There are three basic types: a ''manual'' version (also known as a ''bag valve mask ...

failed to work. Nobel utilized the institute to focus on improving

cardiopulmonary resuscitation Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spont ...

technology, design, and deployment. Among Nobel's inventions was the MAX Cart, a mobile resuscitation system."ECRI Institute. YouTube. Retrieved 5 March 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Vpc5mFMjA" Designed and patented in 1965 during Nobel's residency at

Pennsylvania Hospital Pennsylvania Hospital is a private, non-profit, 515-bed teaching hospital located in Center City Philadelphia and is part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Founded on May 11, 1751, by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond, Pennsylv ...

, the cart carries instruments for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other medical supplies while functioning as a support

litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, ...

. A prototype is in the permanent collection of the Medicine and Science Division of the

Smithsonian National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

. In 1966, ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

'' profiled the invention in a feature called "MAX, the Lifesaver." ECRI began comparative evaluations of medical device brands and models in 1971. Since its designation as an Evidence-based Practice Center with the

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ; pronounced "ark" by initiates and often "A-H-R-Q" by the public) is one of twelve agencies within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency is headquartered i ...

(AHRQ) in 1997,"Evidence-based Practice Centers ebsite Website. Retrieved 27 Feb 2014. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/overview/index.html" it has undertaken reviews of clinical procedures using meta-analysis for the Medicare program, other federal and state agencies, and clinical specialty organizations. In 2001, Jeffrey C. Lerner became ECRI Institute's second president and CEO. In 2018, Marcus Schabacker became ECRI's third president and CEO. The

Institute for Safe Medication Practices The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) is an American 501(c)(3) organization focusing on the prevention of medication errors and promoting safe medication practices. It is affiliated with the ECRI Institute ECRI (originally founded ...

became an ECRI affiliate in 2020. On March 8, 2020, the organization rebranded as ECRI.

Designations

ECRI

Patient Safety Organization A Patient Safety Organization (PSO) is a group, institution, or association that improves medical care by reducing medical errors. Common functions of patient safety organizations are data collection and analysis, reporting, education, funding, ...

was listed as a federal patient safety organization by the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...

under the

Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (PSQIA): , 42 U.S.C.&nbsch. 6A subch. VII part C established a system of patient safety organization A Patient Safety Organization (PSO) is a group, institution, or association that imp ...

of 2005. ECRI entered into a licensing agreement to adapt the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS), to meet Pennsylvania-specific reporting requirements. The resulting PA-PSRS system is fully owned by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority.

Services

The organization was the sole prime contractor for developing and maintaining AHRQ's

National Guideline Clearinghouse National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) is a database of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related documents. As of July 2, 2018, it will no longer be updated with new content, and it will no longer be available online as of July 18, ...

, a database of clinical practice guidelines, since its inception in 1998 and the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse,"National Quality Measures Clearinghouse ebsite Website. Retrieved 20 Feb 2014. http://www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/ " a database of evidence-based healthcare quality measures, since its inception in 2001. Both contracts ended in July 2018 due to the lack of federal funding through AHRQ to continue their operation. ECRI Institute created and maintains the Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System (UMDNS).

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Evidence-based practices Nonprofit institutes based in the United States Patient safety