RAND Evidence-Based Practice Center

The RAND Evidence-Based Practice Center is one of 11 such centers that conduct research to produce evidence reports for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

RAND has supported AHRQ’s evidence-based centers since their inception in 1997, conducting meaningful research that makes a difference in health care policy and practice. In fact, RAND developed many of the stakeholder engagement methodologies that provide such rich insights and rigor to evidence review, including the Delphi/modified-Delphi methods, RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, RAND/PPMD Patient-Centeredness Method, and Stakeholder Engagement Reporting Questionnaire.

The most recent iteration of the RAND Evidence-based Practice Center combines the strengths of RAND Health, one of the largest independent health research organizations in the world, and Cedars-Sinai, one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the United States. Its core team includes senior and early career staff, as well as students from the RAND School of Public Policy, to build a sustainable pipeline of evidence synthesis expertise while also driving innovation in the field. Additional clinical and support partners include Boston Children’s Hospital and The Med Writers.

Work conducted in the RAND Evidence-Based Practice Center includes systematic reviews, evidence maps, scoping reviews, rapid reviews, and other literature synthesis products. These analyses will inform clinicians, government and private payers, professional societies, guideline groups, health care systems, and patients.