Evidence-based Practice Centers III (EPC III)

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) awarded a Master IDIQ for Evidence-based Practice Centers III on September 1, 2007, with the last date to order closing on September 24, 2015—the vehicle is no longer active. AHRQ established Evidence-based Practice Centers IV as a successor on August 1, 2012, and ordering shifted to the newer vehicle well before EPC III's ordering window closed.

The vehicle executed 112 task orders totaling $140.8 million in combined potential value, with all dollars obligated. Ordering activity peaked in 2009 with 19 orders, then declined to 8 orders in 2012 as activity transitioned to EPC IV. The most recent task order award was September 24, 2012.

Task orders funded systematic reviews, comparative effectiveness analyses, technology assessments, and methodological research across healthcare topics including cancer screening, cardiovascular disease, maternal and perinatal health, vaccines, and preventive care. Large orders under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, 2009) funded broad evidence synthesis work by regional EPCs, with individual ARRA task orders reaching $6 million. Non-ARRA orders typically ranged from roughly $160,000 to $1 million. Notable mega-orders included support for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force ($4.4 million) and comprehensive comparative effectiveness reviews for individual EPCs ($6 million each).

Oregon Health & Science University dominated by award count with 16 orders valued at $34.3 million combined; Tufts Medical Center Parent, Inc. held 15 orders at $16 million; Research Triangle Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and the Regents of the University of Minnesota each held 10 orders. The top five primes captured 61 percent of combined potential value. Fourteen distinct primes shared the portfolio; a long tail of eight(a)-certified and independent academic medical centers filled out the awards. All 112 task orders were unrestricted competitive or sole-source, with no set-aside designations.

All funding and task orders originated from AHRQ Headquarters. Work was performed at prime contractor locations, predominantly academic medical centers and research institutions.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded a Master IDIQ for Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) III. Specifically, EPCs will perform task orders to meet the following objectives: Promote the synthesis and translation of evidence; Engage stakeholders to identify and refine questions in which systematic review will help disseminate and translate research findings for the stakeholder audience; Conduct comparative effectiveness reviews, technical briefs, and updates of reviews with systematic and transparent methods; Engage stakeholders to identify and characterize Future research needs to inform real-world healthcare decisions; Collaborate with partners, including other EPCs and AHRQ programs, to promote relevant, consistent, transparent and valuable implementation of the systematic review process, dissemination of findings from systematic reviews and methodology projects, and the EPC Program as a whole; Improve validity and utility of systematic reviews for decision-making.