In order to improve the health care of Americans by basing that care on well proven principles and practice, EPCs have as their mission “synthesizing scientific evidence to improve quality and effectiveness in health care.”  The established efforts of two experienced evidence synthesis researchers and associated teams from the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center offer a unique combination of skills and opportunities to address the difficulties in evidence synthesis and research dissemination. Expertise in the scientific review of information is teamed with a strong foundation in clinical practice, health policy, and epidemiology, as well as outstanding opportunities for putting such findings into operation in practice. The Minnesota EPC is comprised of a broad range of experienced clinical investigators at both the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. We have strong records of systematically analyzing the scientific literature, ascertaining meaningful patterns of results, questioning and exploring when evidence is heterogeneous, identifying gaps in evidence, proposing future research needed to close those gaps, and disseminating this information to key stakeholders. 

The University of Minnesota draws on the vast experience of School of Public Health and Academic Health Center faculty and other colleagues to conduct, implement, and disseminate systematic reviews. The VA has a similar ability to access expertise through their Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (CCDOR), which has a long track record of conducting, disseminating, and implementing systematic reviews and is the editorial office for the Cochrane Review Group in Prostatic Diseases and Urologic Cancers.