Evidence-Based Practice Centers Coordinating Center for AHRQ
The Lewin Group serves as the Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) Coordinating Center, part of the Effective Health Care Program of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Our responsibilities have included scientific and technical support for AHRQ and the 14 Evidence-based Practice Centers in the United States and Canada, including critical analyses of the nature and quality of the evidence base relevant to a variety of clinical topics nominated to AHRQ by outside organizations.
The Lewin Group’s analyses have helped to inform AHRQ’s decisions regarding which nominated topics to select for extensive evidence reports and technology assessments produced through the EPCs. These reports are used for informing and developing coverage decisions, quality measures, educational materials and tools, guidelines, and research agendas. Some reports are used to inform Medicare coverage decisions or to inform recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The Lewin Group has conducted more than one hundred 15–25 page analyses of the nature and quality of evidence related to clinical topics nominated to AHRQ. The Lewin Group also planned and coordinated four national conferences on Translating Research into Practice and Policy under this effort.
The Lewin Group helps federal agencies develop and implement new programs and evaluate existing policies for populations such as military personnel, veterans, Medicare and Medicaid Beneficiaries, citizens in natural disasters, and other low income and vulnerable populations.
The Lewin Group provides research and consulting services including program planning and development, implementation services, and post-implementation analytics and evaluation. In the development phase, we perform policy research, systematic literature reviews, and data analysis to assist the federal government in designing programs that improve the health and well-being of the nation’s citizens.
The Lewin Group facilitates successful program application by identifying and prioritizing our clients’ key agency and program objectives, then evaluating the program implementation process and outcomes using our logic model framework. Our implementation and technical assistance services, grounded in a strong knowledge of the relevant research as well as on-the-ground policy and program experience, help to guard against program failure due to poor execution. Finally, our sophisticated evaluation methods and modeling techniques help assess program effectiveness and simulate impacts of policy alternatives to inform policy development. This helps programs improve their operations and build the capacity for continuous improvement.
Services
For more than 35 years, The Lewin Group has provided analytic insight that helps the federal decision makers strengthen health and human services programs and make informed policy choices. We do this by combining an array of specific skills with strong subject matter expertise and institutional knowledge.
Policy Research and Analysis
- Conduct economic and statistical analysis
- Use simulation modeling to determine the likely effects of alternative policies and programs over time, including insurance cost and coverage impacts of health reform proposals, health workforce policies, and long-term care policy options. Read one example here.
- Perform cost-benefit and cost-impact analyses
Program Evaluation
- Design and implement rigorous program evaluation
- Develop performance measurement tools
- Collect and analyze data for outcomes research
Technical Assistance
- Develop, deliver, and implement content-oriented training programs
- Facilitate communication via website, webinars, and resource materials
- Provide strategic planning for marketing, recruitment, and service delivery
Our Clients
Some of our Federal Government Agency clients have included the following:
- DHHS, Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
- DHHS, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
- DHHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- DHHS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- DHHS, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- DHHS, National Institutes of Health
- DHHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
- DHHS, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
- DHHS, Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS)
- DHHS, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
- Department of Defense
- Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)