# ECRI (Emergency Care Research Institute)

**Type:** Independent patient safety organization  
**Founded:** 1968  
**Focus:** Health technology hazard identification, patient safety research, clinical evidence evaluation

## Overview

ECRI is a nonprofit, independent patient safety organization that has published Health Technology Hazard Reports for decades. Their rankings directly inform hospital purchasing decisions and risk management protocols across the US healthcare system. ECRI is widely regarded as the most credible independent patient safety organization in the United States.

## Significance

ECRI's annual Health Technology Hazards Report represents operational patient safety infrastructure, not academic commentary. When ECRI designates something as a top hazard, it reflects documented harm tracking and empirical evidence from their incident reporting systems.

## Timeline

- **2025** — Published Health Technology Hazards Report ranking AI chatbot misuse as #1 health technology hazard
- **2026-01** — Published 2026 Health Technology Hazards Report ranking AI chatbot misuse as #1 health technology hazard for second consecutive year, documenting harm including incorrect diagnoses, dangerous electrosurgical advice, and hallucinated body parts
- **2026-03** — Published separate 2026 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns list, ranking AI diagnostic capabilities as #1 patient safety concern

## Related

- [[clinical-ai-chatbot-misuse-documented-as-top-patient-safety-hazard-two-consecutive-years]]
- [[regulatory-deregulation-occurring-during-active-harm-accumulation-not-after-safety-evidence]]