Professional services
UnclaimedECRI is an independent nonprofit organization that advances evidence-based healthcare, patient safety, medical technology evaluation, and healthcare quality improvement.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
ECRI is an American independent healthcare research and advisory nonprofit whose work focuses on improving the safety, effectiveness, and value of healthcare. The organization originated in the early 1960s under the name Emergency Care Research Institute, after surgeon and inventor Joel J. Nobel became concerned about failures in emergency resuscitation equipment. Its early mission centered on cardiopulmonary resuscitation technology, emergency-care design, and the practical deployment of lifesaving equipment in clinical settings. Nobel's work included the MAX Cart, a mobile resuscitation system designed and patented in 1965 while he was completing his residency at Pennsylvania Hospital. The cart combined emergency instruments and supplies with a support-litter function. A prototype later entered the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the invention was profiled by Life magazine in 1966. This early emphasis on evaluating and improving medical technology became a defining feature of the organization. Beginning in 1971, ECRI conducted comparative evaluations of medical devices, brands, and models. Its research has subsequently expanded beyond equipment testing into evidence synthesis, clinical practice evaluation, patient-safety programs, healthcare technology management, medication safety, quality measurement, recall management, and spend-management services. ECRI is known for producing independent assessments intended to help hospitals, health systems, government agencies, and clinicians make safer and more evidence-informed decisions. The organization became an Evidence-based Practice Center designated by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 1997. In that role, it performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of clinical procedures for Medicare, federal and state agencies, and professional medical organizations. ECRI also served as the sole prime contractor responsible for developing and maintaining the National Guideline Clearinghouse from its creation in 1998 and the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse from its creation in 2001. Both federal projects ended in July 2018 after funding was no longer available. ECRI's institutional identity changed over time. Jeffrey C. Lerner became its second president and chief executive officer in 2001. The organization adopted the name ECRI Institute in 2007 and shortened its public brand to ECRI on March 8, 2020. Marcus Schabacker became the organization's third president and CEO in 2018. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices became an ECRI affiliate in 2020, strengthening the organization's medication-safety capabilities. In 2024, ECRI acquired The Just Culture Company to extend its work into organizational culture and workplace learning. ECRI also operates within the U.S. patient-safety regulatory framework. Its Patient Safety Organization was listed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005. The organization entered into a licensing arrangement to adapt Pennsylvania's patient-safety reporting system, while ownership of the resulting PA-PSRS system remained with the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority. ECRI has also created and maintained the Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System, a standardized terminology resource for medical devices. ECRI's current positioning combines independent healthcare research with practical implementation support. Rather than presenting itself as a consumer medical brand or a device manufacturer, it functions as an evidence, safety, technology, and quality partner for healthcare organizations. Its work spans clinical evidence, medical-device assessment, patient and medication safety, healthcare operations, recalls, and culture change. According to the supplied reference material, ECRI planned to spin off its Spend Management and Recall Management solutions into an independent company called Staritas in April 2026, with growth investment from Accel-KKR; because that event is dated in the future relative to much historical coverage, its completed status should be independently verified.
History
ECRI traces its origins to the early 1960s, when surgeon and inventor Joel J. Nobel established the Emergency Care Research Institute after a young child's death was associated with a failed resuscitator. Nobel directed the organization toward improving cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment and the systems used to deliver emergency care. One of the institute's early technological achievements was the MAX Cart, a mobile resuscitation unit designed and patented in 1965 during Nobel's residency at Pennsylvania Hospital. It was intended to keep emergency equipment organized and immediately transportable, while also serving as a support litter. A prototype is held by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the invention received public attention through a 1966 Life magazine feature. ECRI later developed a broader research role. In 1971, it began comparative evaluations of medical devices and their manufacturers' models. These assessments established a continuing institutional focus on independent healthcare-technology analysis rather than product manufacturing or commercial device distribution. The organization evaluated equipment with attention to safety, performance, clinical usefulness, and practical deployment. In 1997, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality designated ECRI as an Evidence-based Practice Center. This enabled the organization to conduct systematic evidence reviews and meta-analyses addressing clinical procedures and healthcare interventions. Its work supported Medicare, other federal and state agencies, and clinical specialty organizations. ECRI also developed and maintained the National Guideline Clearinghouse beginning in 1998 and the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse beginning in 2001. Those federal contracts ended in July 2018 following the withdrawal of funding for their continuation. The organization's leadership and brand identity evolved alongside its expanding remit. Jeffrey C. Lerner became the second president and CEO in 2001. ECRI adopted the name ECRI Institute in 2007, then returned to the shorter ECRI name in March 2020. Marcus Schabacker became the third president and CEO in 2018. ECRI's patient-safety infrastructure includes a Patient Safety Organization recognized under the federal Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005. It also licensed and adapted Pennsylvania's patient-safety reporting system to meet state-specific requirements; the resulting PA-PSRS platform remained owned by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority. ECRI created and maintains the Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System, which provides standardized terminology for medical devices. The organization has continued to broaden its scope through affiliations and acquisitions. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices became an ECRI affiliate in 2020, linking ECRI's established safety and evidence capabilities with specialized medication-safety expertise. In 2024, ECRI acquired The Just Culture Company, supporting work on workplace culture, organizational learning, accountability, and safer healthcare environments. The supplied reference further reports a planned April 2026 spin-off of ECRI's Spend Management and Recall Management solutions into Staritas, backed by Accel-KKR. That transaction should be checked against current corporate records before being treated as completed history. Across these stages, ECRI has remained positioned as an independent nonprofit resource for healthcare decision-makers. Its activities now encompass medical-device evaluation, clinical evidence synthesis, patient and medication safety, quality measurement, recall and procurement support, and organizational culture. Its central institutional purpose is to help healthcare systems make decisions grounded in evidence and reduce preventable harm to patients.
- 2026
Reported planned Staritas spin-off
[1]The supplied reference reports a planned separation of Spend Management and Recall Management solutions into Staritas, subject to verification.
- 2024
ECRI acquires The Just Culture Company
[1]The acquisition expanded ECRI's workplace-culture and healthcare-safety capabilities.
- 2020
ECRI Institute rebrands as ECRI
[1]The organization shortened its public brand name to ECRI on March 8.
- 2020
Institute for Safe Medication Practices becomes an affiliate
[1]The affiliation strengthened ECRI's medication-safety activities.
- 2018
Marcus Schabacker becomes president and CEO
[1]Marcus Schabacker became the organization's third president and chief executive.
- 2018
National clearinghouse contracts end
[1]ECRI's contracts for the National Guideline Clearinghouse and National Quality Measures Clearinghouse ended in July after federal funding ceased.
- 2007
Organization adopts the ECRI Institute name
[1]The organization rebranded from its earlier identity to ECRI Institute.
- 2001
Leadership and quality-measurement expansion
[1]Jeffrey C. Lerner became president and CEO, while ECRI began work on the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse.
- 1998
National Guideline Clearinghouse work begins
[1]ECRI became the prime contractor for developing and maintaining the National Guideline Clearinghouse.
- 1997
ECRI becomes an AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center
[1]The designation enabled ECRI to conduct evidence reviews and meta-analyses for public agencies and clinical organizations.
Products and positioning
An independent, evidence-focused nonprofit partner for healthcare organizations seeking to improve patient safety, clinical effectiveness, medical-technology decisions, medication safety, and operational quality.
Medical technology assessment · 1971
Medical Device Evaluations
Independent comparative evaluations of medical devices, brands, and models. The program grew from ECRI's early work in emergency-care technology and is intended to support procurement, technology planning, safety review, and clinical decision-making by healthcare organizations.
Clinical research · 1997
Evidence-Based Practice Reviews
Systematic reviews, evidence assessments, and meta-analyses addressing clinical procedures and healthcare interventions. ECRI has performed this work for Medicare, government agencies, and clinical specialty organizations through its Evidence-based Practice Center role.
Patient safety
Patient Safety Organization Services
Patient-safety reporting, analysis, and improvement services delivered through ECRI's federally recognized Patient Safety Organization. The work supports healthcare providers seeking to identify risks, learn from adverse events, and improve safety systems.
Healthcare information system
Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System
A standardized nomenclature resource for medical devices. The system is designed to make device identification and classification more consistent across healthcare technology management, procurement, research, and safety activities.
Clinical guidelines database · 1998
National Guideline Clearinghouse
AHRQ-sponsored clinical-guideline database developed and maintained by ECRI from its creation through July 2018. The project ended when federal funding was not continued.
Healthcare quality database · 2001
National Quality Measures Clearinghouse
A database of evidence-based healthcare quality measures developed and maintained by ECRI for AHRQ from 2001 until the associated contract ended in July 2018.
Healthcare operations
Spend Management and Recall Management Solutions
Operational services intended to help healthcare organizations manage purchasing-related spending and medical-product recalls. The supplied reference reports that these activities were planned for separation into Staritas in 2026.
Brand decisions
2026
Plan the Staritas spin-offStrategyBackground
The supplied reference describes a planned separation of ECRI's Spend Management and Recall Management solutions.
Action taken
Those solutions were reported as being spun off into an independent company named Staritas, with growth investment from Accel-KKR.
Aftermath
The transaction's completion and final structure require independent verification.
2024
Acquire The Just Culture CompanyM&ABackground
ECRI sought to extend its patient-safety work into organizational culture and workplace behavior.
Action taken
ECRI acquired The Just Culture Company.
Aftermath
The transaction added just-culture capabilities intended to help healthcare organizations build safer workplaces.
2020
Adopt the ECRI nameStrategyBackground
The organization sought a shorter public identity after operating as ECRI Institute since 2007.
Action taken
On March 8, 2020, it rebranded publicly as ECRI.
Aftermath
ECRI became the organization's primary public-facing brand.
2020
Affiliate with the Institute for Safe Medication PracticesM&ABackground
Medication safety is closely connected to ECRI's broader patient-safety and evidence-based healthcare mission.
Action taken
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices became an ECRI affiliate.
Aftermath
The relationship expanded ECRI's medication-safety capabilities.
2007
Rebrand as ECRI InstituteStrategyBackground
The organization had expanded beyond its original emergency-care research focus into medical technology evaluation, evidence review, and healthcare quality work.
Action taken
It adopted the ECRI Institute name.
Aftermath
The new identity was later shortened to ECRI in 2020.
Recent events
Reported
ECRI and Nuvolo announce medical device data partnership[3]
ECRI announced a collaborative partnership with Nuvolo to integrate ECRI's medical device data standardization with Nuvolo Connected Workplace for Healthcare.
Reported
Mon Health System wins ECRI Health Devices Achievement Award[4]
ECRI named Mon Health System the winner of its 15th Health Devices Achievement Award for an initiative to improve patient care through collaboration with Intermed Labs.
Erlanger Supply Chain named a 2021 award winner[5]
Erlanger Supply Chain was named a winner of the 2021 ECRI Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award.
Reported
ECRI announces 2020 Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award winners[6]
ECRI announced twelve U.S. health systems as winners of its 2020 Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award, recognizing excellence in supply chain practices.
Sources6 sources
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