The Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a continuing requirement for Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) – a flagship program in AHRQ focusing on research with systematic review methodology and critical appraisal of scientific literature.

The EPCs were created in 1997 to synthesize existing scientific literature about important health care topics and promote evidence-based practice and decision-making. The EPC program has evolved in over 20 years of existence with development of new methods to adapt to changing needs of users. The EPC program will need to continue to adapt to a rapidly changing health care environment. EPC reviews must be scientifically rigorous. Tools and methods for information exchange are rapidly developing, including new technologies to enable more efficient reviews, better data visualization and presentation of findings, and to accelerate the uptake of current evidence into practice. EPCs are expected to optimize the efficiency of the review process as well as convey relevant information in the most useful format for users. Technologies that AHRQ and the EPC program have previously funded include machine learning tools to accelerate the article screening and the Systematic Review Data Repository. The process, content, and format of EPC reports will need to continue to evolve to keep up with the needs of partners and stakeholders.

The core work of the EPC Program is to present the “state of the science” on a given topic in a manner that can be directly applied to decisions made by users of health care information. EPCs produce various types of evidence reports, all based on the methodology of systematic review. These reviews are considered the first step in implementation of evidence-based practices.

EPCs synthesize evidence for partners to translate into practice and policy to improve patient care and outcomes. Traditional users of EPC reports include guideline developers, clinicians, patients, policymakers, research funders, knowledge translators, and purchasers and payers of healthcare. EPC work has been the scientific foundation for development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines, review criteria, performance measures, other clinical quality improvements efforts, individual treatment decisions, coverage or reimbursement policies, and research agendas. EPC program recognizes that direct engagement with health systems can accelerate the adoption of evidence-based practices, such as through clinical pathways or clinical quality improvement efforts. This has led to investigations into different types of questions, methods, and presentation formats to meet the needs of learning health systems.

Under this contract, the EPC program anticipates emphasis on specific areas. In this increasingly connected and digital world, EPCs will need to further innovate to allow for seamless integration and interoperability of EPC findings. Future innovations may enable EPC products to be available in the most useful format to diverse users. EPCs shall use technology and other resources or approaches to maximize efficiency and rigor of systematic reviews, review updates, or other rapid evidence products. Improving clarity and usability of EPC reports will also require greater emphasis and work in refining topics to better identify the main decisional dilemmas and focus the review questions.

• Topic Development Brief
• Topic Refinement
• Surveillance for Systematic Reviews
• Systematic Reviews
• Systematic Review Updates
• Living review.
• Technical Brief
• Rapid Response
• Rapid Review
• Decision-analysis, modelling, or economic studies
• EPCs must also be able to perform methodological work to improve the validity and utility of evidence synthesis methods for decision-making and practice. EPCs work in collaboration on methods projects, and participate in the methodological review and peer review process to promote the consistency and quality of EPC review products. EPCs meet regularly through in person and virtual meetings, as well as through workgroup calls to collectively identify challenges and areas for improvement and work collaboratively to improve methods and consistency across the EPC Program as a whole