The Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) was established at RAND and resided there until 2019. The EPC was designated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as one of 12 centers in North America to produce evidence reports.
The EPC reviewed scientific literature on a wide spectrum of clinical and health services topics. We produced systematic reviews, evidence maps, scoping reviews, rapid reviews, and other literature synthesis products. Our reviews informed clinicians, patients, guideline groups, policy makers, purchases, payors, and research agendas. We synthesized literature on medical, psychological, behavioral, and organizational topics and conduct research to advance evidence synthesis methods.
Our EPC combined the talents of RAND and our core collaborators at the University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, San Francisco; Stanford University; and University of Southern California. In addition, through the VA HSR&D Center of Innovation and the VA Evidence-Synthesis Program (ESP), we collaborated with the Greater Los Angeles Veteran Affairs Healthcare System. The center was also affiliated with five health services research training programs, and the Guidelines International Network.
RAND continues these lines of research through the Southern California Evidence Review Center, in partnership with the University of Southern California.
The purpose of this review is to characterize methods conducted or supported by research funding organizations to identify health research gaps, needs, or priorities.
The panel achieved consensus on definitions of optimal access and access management, on eight urgent and important priorities for guiding access management improvement, and on 1–3 recommendations per priority. Each recommendation is supported by referenced, panel-approved suggestions for implementation.
This is an evidence-map of ductal carcinoma in situ treatment options and impacts on patient-centered and clinical options.
Obesity is preventable and yet continues to be a major risk factor for chronic disease. This review searched the vast literature on obesity prevention interventions to assess their effects on daily energy consumed and energy expended.
The objective was to conduct a systematic review of toolkit evaluations intended to spread interventions to improve healthcare quality. We aimed to determine the components, uptake, and effectiveness of publicly available toolkits.
