Emergency Care Research Institute

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 improvement, and cost-effectiveness. Ecri's technical assistance programs include providing information tools and support for the buyers and users of healthcare technology; 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 repository of critical clinical guidelines; designing and maintaining patient safety reporting and analysis programs; and running a federally designated patient safety organization (pso). 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.