ECRI Institute announces that it has forged a partnership with Switzerland-based global healthcare consulting firm International Consulting Management & Engineering (ICME) Healthcare to expand the use of independent medical device evaluations, patient safety guidance, and evidence-based technology management to nine countries in the Middle East and Africa.

The three-year contract, which commences April 1, helps ICME Healthcare improve the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of patient care in South Africa, Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Ethiopia through healthcare membership programs and consultancy services, ECRI officials say.

“This initiative will help ECRI Institute expand the reach of our evidence-based medical device and patient safety programs and services globally,” says Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and CEO of ECRI Institute. Currently, ECRI Institute has overseas offices in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Further, more than 5,000 healthcare institutions and systems worldwide employ ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization, to protect patients from unsafe and ineffective medical technologies and practices, officials say. “These countries are striving to improve healthcare delivery and safety,” adds Cyril Toma, MD, MBA, managing partner AMEA, ICME Healthcare. “ECRI Institute can provide them with the assurance they need to effectively procure and manage medical technology using trusted, evidence-based support.”