ECRI Institute's New Methodology Workshop to Focus on Evidence Grading

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., April 26, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How do the health technology analysts and systematic review experts really come to their conclusions on the strength of evidence behind new and emerging health technologies and interventions?

ECRI Institute's experts will show healthcare professionals just how they do it in the 3^rd Annual Evidence Boot Camp, "Making the GRADE: Inside the Mind of the Evidence Analyst," May 17-18, 2016, at the Institute's headquarters. The GRADE-based evidence rating system that ECRI analysts use is recognized as an international standard for evaluating clinical evidence.

The evidence-evaluation process directly affects patient care and coverage, yet many healthcare professionals remain in the dark about what the process actually entails.

"Our interactive workshop will help them better understand the rigorous and often challenging steps the experts have to take to ensure their conclusions are sound," says Vivian H. Coates, vice president, health technology assessment, ECRI Institute.

The workshop features breakout sessions, mock evidence-rating meetings in which analysts debate different ways to examine evidence on specific topics, and plenary sessions. It will address the whys and hows of rating clinical evidence, the architecture of the GRADE system, and the evaluation process for drugs, genetic tests, surgical procedures, and complex multi-component interventions.

Attendees will learn how to better and more quickly differentiate strong studies from weak studies that are relevant to the populations they serve.

"This year's event will be one of the most transparent demonstrations of the work that our health technology assessment analysts do behind the scenes. We strive to create evidence reports that healthcare professionals can use to make informed decisions about specific technologies or interventions," says Karen Schoelles, MD, SM, FACP, director, Evidence-based Practice Center, ECRI Institute. "As part of that, we are pleased to have invited speakers from hospitals and health plans to participate to give real-world perspectives." 

This live activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). ECRI Institute is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

ECRI Institute designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been approved for 9.9 California State Nursing contact hours by the provider, Debora Simmons, who is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 13677.

This methodology workshop is designed to help clinicians, methodologists, executives, and health technology assessment professionals from health plans, hospital and health systems, manufacturers, and clinical specialty societies better understand how health technology analysts reach their conclusions using the GRADE-based evidence rating system.

Members of ECRI Institute's Health Technology Assessment Information Service can attend at no cost as a benefit of membership. Discounts are available to members of ECRI Institute's SELECTplus™, PriceGuide™, Health Devices™, or ECRI Institute Patient Safety Organization, as well as to employees of government or nonprofit agencies, with registration by April 29.

To learn more, or to register for this on-site event, visit www.ecri.org/2016bootcamp or contact ECRI Institute by e-mail at [email protected]; by telephone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5889; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA. ECRI's European office can be contacted at [email protected]; ECRI's Malaysian office can be contacted at [email protected]; and ECRI's Middle Eastern office can be contacted at [email protected]. ECRI also offers free resources in our online eNewsletters.

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About ECRI Institute
ECRI Institute (www.ecri.org), a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to discover which medical procedures, devices, drugs, and processes are best to enable improved patient care. As pioneers in this science for nearly 50 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. Strict conflict-of-interest guidelines ensure objectivity. ECRI Institute is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute PSO is listed as a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find ECRI Institute on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ECRIInstitute) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ECRI_Institute).

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