Evelyn P. Whitlock, MD, MPH

Senior Investigator, CHR Northwest
Director, Evidence-based Medicine (TCHR),
Associate Director, Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center
Photo of Evelyn Whitlock

Dr. Whitlock is a Senior Investigator at The Center for Health Research (TCHR); a board-certified preventive medicine physician; and the TCHR Director of Evidence-based Medicine. She serves on the Senior Leadership Team under Dr. Mary Durham at KPCHR, representing scientific issues, particularly those focused on evidence-based medicine and policy.   

Dr. Whitlock is Associate Director of the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC), a multi-institute collaboration between TCHR, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Oregon EPC is under a multi-year contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to produce evidence syntheses based on systematic reviews, lead methodological development for systematic reviews, and support the increased application of systematic reviews and other evidence-based products into policy and practice. Dr. Whitlock serves as the Principal Investigator for the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) contract, an EPC program that systematically reviews the evidence to support USPSTF recommendations for clinical preventive services. She is also co-Principal Investigator of AHRQ’s Scientific Resource Center for its Effective Healthcare Program and leads the Topic Triage group, which evaluates topics nominated for systematic review in comparative effectiveness.

Dr. Whitlock is a member of the senior faculty of the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI), one of 12 NIH-funded awards for Clinical and Translational Sciences, and has helped develop and implement OCTRI's Translation of Research into Policy and Practice Program (now Community and Pracrtice-based Research). She previously served as the Portland clinical site PI and Medical Director for the Women's Health Initiative and is now a co-investigator. Dr. Whitlock has significant experience conducting clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and health-services research using large observational datasets, survey data, and administrative datasets. Other recent research includes a collaboration with the CDC that created and validated an algorithm to determine pregnancy episodes and their outcomes within Kaiser Permanente Northwest, with ongoing work investigating important public health issues during pregnancy.

In addition to her appointment at CHR, Dr. Whitlock is an adjunct associate professor in OHSU’s Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology. She also serves as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Health and Preventive Medicine at OHSU, where she directed the Residency Program from 1993-1997.

E-mail: Evelyn.Whitlock@kpchr.org

Recent Publications:
Atkins D, Chang S, Gartlehner G, Buckley D, Whitlock EP, Berliner E, Matchar D. Assessing applicability when comparing medical interventions: AHRQ and the Effective Health Care Program. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2011 Apr 2. [Epub 2011 Apr 2]    PubMed abstract
Gold R, Whitlock EP, Patnode C, McGinnis P, Buckley D, Morris CD. Prioritizing research needs based on a systematic evidence review: A pilot process for engaging stakeholders. Health Expectations. 2011 Aug 12. [Epub 2011 Aug 12]    PubMed abstract
Helfand M, Tunis S, Whitlock EP, Pauker SG, Basu A, Chilingerian J, Harrell Jr FE, Meltzer DO, Montori VM, Shepard DS, Kent DM; The Methods Work Group of the National CTSA Strategic Goal Committee on Comparative Effectiveness Research. A CTSA agenda to advance methods for comparative effectiveness research. Clincal and Translational Science 2011 Jun; 4(3):188-198.    PubMed abstract
LeBlanc ES, O'Connor E, Whitlock EP, Patnode CD, Kapka T. Effectiveness of primary care-relevant treatments for obesity in adults: A systematic evidence review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine 2011 Oct 4; 155(7):434-47.   PubMed abstract
LeBlanc, E, O'Connor, E, Whitlock, EP, et al. Screening for and Management of Obesity and Overweight in Adults [Internet]. 11-05159-EF-1. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (U.S.); 2011 Oct. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=es89.   PubMed abstract
Lin JS, Webber EM, Senger CA, Holmes RS, Whitlock EP. Systematic review of phamacogenetic testing for predicting clinical benefit to anti-EGFR therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer. American Journal of Cancer Research 2011; 1(5):650-662.   PubMed abstract
Vesco K, Whitlock E, Eder M, Lin J, Burda B, Senger C, Holmes R, Fu R, Zuber S. Screening for cervical cancer: A systematic evidence review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [Internet]. Evidence Synthesis No. 86. AHRQ Publication No. 11-05156-EF-1. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (U.S.); May 2011. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=es86.   PubMed abstract
Vesco KK, Whitlock EP, Eder M, Burda BU, Senger CA, Lutz K. Risk factors and other epidemiologic considerations for cervical cancer screening. Annals of Internal Medicine2011 Nov 15;155(10):687-97. [Epub 2011 Oct 17]    PubMed abstract
Whitlock EP, Vesco K, Eder M, Lin JS, Senger CA, Burda BU. Liquid-based cytology and HPV testing to screen for cervical cancer: A systematic evidence review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine 2011 Nov 15;155(10):687-97. [Epub 2011 Oct 17]    PubMed abstract
Atkins D, Chang S, Gartlehner G, Buckley DI, Whitlock EP, Berliner E, Matchar D. Assessing the applicability of studies when comparing medical interventions. 2010 Dec 30. Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=cermethguide&part=cerguideapplic    PubMed abstract


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