Hayes Center for Evidence-Based Medicine

Hayes Center for Evidence-Based Medicine
Name	Hayes Center for Evidence-Based Medicine
Formation	2003
Type	Research institute
Headquarters	Omaha, Nebraska
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Dr. Laura Hayes

Hayes Center for Evidence-Based Medicine is a non-profit research and training institute focused on promoting evidence-based medicine through systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, and implementation science. Founded in 2003, the center works with academic, clinical, and policy institutions to translate research into practice across specialties including cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, and pediatrics. Its activities span methodological research, continuing professional development, and international collaborations with major organizations.

History

The center was established in 2003 following workshops attended by faculty from Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, University of Oxford, McMaster University, and University of Toronto with funding consultations involving the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust. Early projects included guideline adaptations for partners such as World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the European Medicines Agency. Over time, the Hayes Center expanded collaborations to include Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Karolinska Institutet. Historical milestones include joint consensus conferences with American College of Physicians, Royal Society of Medicine, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and methodologic advances inspired by work at Cochrane Collaboration, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Mission and Programs

The Hayes Center's mission emphasizes rigorous synthesis and transparent reporting, aligning with standards from PRISMA, GRADE Working Group, CONSORT, STROBE, and AGREE. Core programs include a systematic review unit collaborating with Cochrane Library, a guideline development hub linked to World Health Organization, and a health technology assessment team interfacing with Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, European Network for Health Technology Assessment, and UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The center runs clinical decision support projects with Epic Systems Corporation, Cerner Corporation, and research trials registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. Public engagement involves partnerships with BBC, The New York Times, The Lancet, and Nature.

Research and Publications

Research themes at the center include comparative effectiveness research with investigators from Duke University School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. Publications appear in journals such as The Lancet, JAMA, BMJ, Annals of Internal Medicine, and New England Journal of Medicine. The center contributes methodological papers referencing PRISMA, meta-analyses incorporating data from Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and policy briefs for World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, and UNICEF. It has produced guidelines applied in settings affiliated with Veterans Health Administration, National Health Service, Australian Department of Health, and Public Health Agency of Canada.

Education and Training

Educational offerings include certificate programs in evidence synthesis co-taught with faculty from Harvard School of Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London, and University College London. The center hosts workshops featuring educators from Society for Clinical Trials, AcademyHealth, International Epidemiological Association, and Association of American Medical Colleges. Training modules cover systematic review methods used by Cochrane Training, guideline writing endorsed by Guidelines International Network, and implementation strategies piloted with Partners In Health and Doctors Without Borders. Trainees come from institutions such as Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Brown University, University of Michigan Medical School, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Collaborative networks extend to governmental agencies including Food and Drug Administration, European Commission, Health Canada, and Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. Academic partners include Princeton University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of British Columbia. Clinical collaborators span Mount Sinai Health System, UCLA Health, NYU Langone Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The center works with global NGOs such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Global Fund, PATH, and Clinton Health Access Initiative. Industry partnerships include project agreements with Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, and Johnson & Johnson limited to methodological research and transparency initiatives.

Impact and Recognition

The Hayes Center has influenced policy decisions at World Health Organization guideline panels, contributed to reimbursement decisions referenced by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and informed clinical pathways adopted by American College of Cardiology and Society of Critical Care Medicine. Awards and recognition include citations in reports by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, invitations to advisory roles with European Medicines Agency, and presentations at conferences such as American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, ASCO Annual Meeting, Infectious Diseases Society of America Conference, and ESC Congress. Its alumni have joined leadership at Cochrane Collaboration, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and World Health Organization guideline groups.

Category:Medical research institutes