About Reports

IOM reports provide objective and straightforward advice to decision makers and the public. This site includes IOM reports published after 1998. All reports from the IOM and the National Academies, including those published before 1998, are available from the National Academies Press.

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  Crisis Standards of Care: Summary of a Workshop Series Released: November 17, 2009

  Public health emergencies underscore the critical need to prepare for a crisis in which many thousands of people suddenly require and seek medical care. Without careful advance planning and coordination, there is enormous potential for confusion, chaos, and flawed decision-making. To address these concerns, the Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events hosted a series of regional workshops, summarized in this report.
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  Systems for Research and Evaluation for Translating Genome-Based Discoveries for Health. Workshop Summary Released: November 11, 2009

  The correlation between genetic variations and variations in disease risk has been a subject of study for more than 100 years. Initially, research focused on single genes that give rise to rare genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s disease. With new studies, however, numerous associations have been found between genes and more common diseases, for example breast cancer, type II diabetes, coronary artery disease, asthma, and bipolar disorder. This rapidly advancing field of genomics has stirred great interest in “personalized” health care. The hope is that using genomic information in care will lead to reduced health care costs and improved health results, as preventive measures and treatments are tailored to patients’ genetic susceptibilities. On February 12, 2009, the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Translating Genomic-Based Research for Health hosted a workshop to examine how to evaluate the clinical use of genomic information and the impact of genetic information in caring for patients.
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  Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public: A Summary of the February 2009 Summit Released: November 4, 2009

  On February 25-27, 2009, the Institute of Medicine convened the Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public in Washington, DC. The Summit brought together more than 600 scientists, academic leaders, policy experts, health practitioners, advocates, and other participants from many disciplines to examine the practice of integrative medicine, its scientific basis, and its potential for improving health.
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  Assessing and Improving Value in Cancer Care. Workshop Summary Released: November 4, 2009

  Like other areas of health care, oncology is under pressure to control expenses while improving patient outcomes and the quality of care. Unlike many other areas of health care, however, oncology faces unique challenges that can make it especially difficult to control costs. On February 9-10, 2009, the National Cancer Policy Forum held a workshop to explore these issues from multiple perspectives, including those of patients and patient advocates, providers, insurers, health care researchers, federal agencies, and industry. Assessing and Improving the Value in Cancer Care summarizes workshop discussions and presentations.
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  A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles Released: October 29, 2009

  Prior and ongoing exposures to asbestos continue to contribute to respiratory diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis despite the fact that asbestos is no longer mined in the United States. To examine ongoing issues and concerns in this field, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released a draft research roadmap in January 2009. In its 2009 report, A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles, the IOM finds that NIOSH has put together a comprehensive and broad-based research Roadmap that could be improved through implementing a systematic and interdisciplinary approach to the outlined research.
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  Nanotechnology in Food Products. Workshop Summary Released: October 29, 2009

  Nanotechnology—an emerging technology that enables researchers to manipulate matter at the atomic level—is providing scientists with the ability to enhance food safety and make foods more nutritious and satisfying by enhancing their nutrition content and other characteristics. On December 10, 2008, the Institute of Medicine held a one-day workshop to explore the use of nanotechnology in food products. These presentations and discussions are summarized in the IOM’s Nanotechnology in Food Products.
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  Community Perspectives on Obesity Prevention in Children. Workshop Summary Released: October 21, 2009

  Childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the past several decades. Recent statistics show that nearly one-third of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Increasingly, policy makers are recognizing that environmental factors affect individual behaviors related to food and physical activity. Communities have made efforts to improve these factors in diverse settings and with diverse populations, resulting in many promising approaches. Overall, however, these efforts remain fragmented, and little is known about their effectiveness. To better understand the successes and challenges of these initiatives, the IOM’s Food and Nutrition Board held two workshops in June 2008 and May 2009.
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  Childhood Obesity Prevention in Texas. Workshop Summary Released: October 21, 2009

  The United States is experiencing an epidemic of childhood obesity. This problem could potentially affect the health of the U.S. population for decades to come, incurring substantial costs to the nation. In particular, Texas is home to three of the five U.S. cities with the highest obesity rates in the nation. The statistics on childhood obesity, demographics, size, and the efforts being made to prevent and reduce obesity in Texas all factored into the Food and Nutrition Board's decision to hold a workshop in Austin, Texas, on February 5-6, 2009. Childhood Obesity Prevention in Texas summarizes the workshop.
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  School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children Released: October 20, 2009

  The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program play key roles in supporting the nutrition and health of schoolchildren in the United States by providing nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches each school day. While school meals must meet standards established in 1995, advances have been made in dietary guidance in the years since. At the request of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Institute of Medicine convened a committee to provide recommendations to revise standards and requirements so that school meals are more healthful.
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  Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence Released: October 15, 2009

  Evidence suggests that exposure to secondhand smoke also can result in adverse health effects. In its 2009 report, Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence, an IOM committee concluded that data consistently demonstrates that secondhand-smoke exposure increases the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks and that smoking bans reduce heart attacks.