ECRI

ECRI is a nonprofit healthcare research and advisory organization founded in 1968 by Dr. Joel Nobel following a preventable patient death caused by a malfunctioning defibrillator. The organization operates as the only entity designated as both an Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) by AHRQ and a Patient Safety Organization (PSO) by HHS, serving two-thirds of U.S. healthcare providers.

The organization provides patient safety advisory services, supply chain intelligence, and independent medical device evaluation through the world's only independent device testing laboratories in North America and Asia Pacific. ECRI maintains the industry's largest PSO dataset with over 8 million safety events, offering data-driven insights for healthcare organizations. In 2020, ECRI expanded its capabilities by acquiring the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), and in 2024 added The Just Culture Company to address workplace safety culture.

ECRI's approach centers on Total Systems Safety, combining advanced safety science with systems thinking to help organizations design comprehensive safety systems. The organization produces evidence-based research, publishes annual health technology hazards reports, and provides accident investigation services for healthcare-related incidents.

Choose ECRI when your organization needs independent, conflict-free guidance on patient safety systems, medical device procurement, or supply chain optimization. Their unique dual designation and 55+ years of experience provide credibility for regulatory compliance and accreditation requirements.

Organizations can expect systematic approaches grounded in evidence-based research, access to the largest comparative safety database in healthcare, and support from experts who combine clinical knowledge with engineering principles. ECRI excels in situations requiring independent device testing, medication error prevention, or comprehensive safety system design.

ECRI exclusively serves the healthcare sector with specific expertise across hospitals, health systems, medical device manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies. The organization holds healthcare-specific designations including PSO status under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act and EPC designation from AHRQ.

Their services address healthcare-specific challenges including medical device safety evaluation, medication error prevention through ISMP, supply chain optimization for clinical products, and compliance with healthcare quality and safety regulations. ECRI serves as a WHO Collaborating Center and provides specialized accident investigation services for healthcare-related incidents.

ECRI's ideal clients are large health systems, academic medical centers, and healthcare organizations with significant medical device procurement needs and formal patient safety programs. Organizations seeking to operationalize safety at a systems level, those requiring independent technology assessments free from vendor influence, and institutions pursuing accreditation or regulatory compliance benefit most from ECRI's services.