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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  Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against Novel H1N1 Influenza A Released: September 3, 2009

  During any flu season, health care workers are at the front lines of fighting the disease and protecting public health. In preparation for this year’s fall and winter flu season with novel H1N1 influenza A (nH1N1), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration asked the Institute of Medicine to provide recommendations on necessary respiratory protection for healthcare workers in their workplace against nH1N1. The resulting report, Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against Novel H1N1 Influenza A, focuses on the scientific and empirical evidence on the efficacy of various types of personal respiratory protection technologies (e.g., medical masks and respirators) as one measure to protect healthcare workers against nH1N1.
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  Dispensing Medical Countermeasures for Public Health Emergencies Workshop Summary Released: August 15, 2008

  On March 3-4, 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events hosted a workshop titled “Medical Countermeasures Dispensing.” The overall objective was to discuss a range of solutions to rapidly provide medical countermeasures to protect large numbers of people prior to or during a public health emergency, such as a bioterrorist attack or infectious disease outbreak. The United States is currently unprepared to confront the range of threats it is facing, and it must plan aggressively to counteract the threat of these and other future public health emergencies.
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  Antivirals for Pandemic Influenza: Guidance on Developing a Distribution and Dispensing Program Released: April 25, 2008

  Planning for an influenza pandemic, whether it occurs in the near or distant future, will need to take into account many constantly evolving factors. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Implementation of Antiviral Medication Strategies for an Influenza Pandemic was asked by the Department of Health and Human Services, (DHHS) to consider best practices and policies for providing antiviral treatment and prophylaxis during a pandemic event.
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  Vector-Borne Diseases: Understanding the Environmental, Human Health, and Ecological Connections. Workshop Summary Released: March 18, 2008

  The Institute of Medicine’s Forum on Microbial Threats convened a workshop—on June 19-20, 2007, in Ft. Collins, CO—entitled Vector-Borne Diseases: Understanding the Environmental, Human Health, and Ecological Connections. The purpose of this public workshop was to examine the global burden of vector-borne diseases of humans, animals, and plants, and to discuss prospects for successful mitigation and response strategies.
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  Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Detection: Assessing the Challenges. Workshop Summary Released: October 22, 2007

  The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Forum on Microbial Threats convened a workshop addressing Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Detection: Assessing the Challenges—Finding Solutions on December 12 and 13, 2006, to consider scientific and policy issues relevant to the practice of disease surveillance and detection.
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  Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic: Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers Released: September 18, 2007

  During an influenza pandemic, healthcare workers will be on the front lines delivering care to patients and preventing further spread of the disease. One vital aspect of pandemic influenza planning is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) that will be used by healthcare workers and others in their day-to-day patient care responsibilities. In 2006, the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct a study on the personal protective equipment needed by healthcare workers in the event of an influenza pandemic.
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  Ethical and Legal Considerations in Mitigating Pandemic Disease. Workshop Summary Released: June 11, 2007

  In order to focus on the profound ethical and legal issues inherent in various pandemic disease mitigation approaches, that are being proposed domestically and internationally, the Institute of Medicine’s Forum on Microbial Threats convened a public workshop and released the workshop summary entitled Ethical and Legal Considerations in Mitigating Pandemic Disease.
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  Modeling Community Containment for Pandemic Influenza. Letter Report Released: December 11, 2006

  Computer models and analyses of past flu outbreaks indicate that there is a role for community-wide intervention -- such as isolating infected people or voluntary quarantine -- to control illnesses and deaths during the next pandemic flu, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. It adds, however, that government and community leaders should not overstate the certainty about their effectiveness.
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  Reusability of Facemasks During an Influenza Pandemic: Facing the Flu Released: April 26, 2006

  Based on the assumption that efforts to produce and stockpile sufficient supplies of disposable masks and/or respirators may fall short in the event of a pandemic, the US Department of Health and Human Services requested that an IOM committee examine issues relative to the potential reuse of medical masks and N95 respirators in the event of an influenza pandemic.
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  The Impact of Globalization on Infectious Disease Emergence and Control: Exploring the Consequences and Opportunities. Workshop Summary Released: March 3, 2006

  As transborder mobility of humans, animals, food, and feed products increases, so does the threat of the spread of dangerous pathogens and infectious disease. While new global markets have created unprecedented economic opportunities and growth, the benefits have not been equally distributed, and the risks--especially the health risks--of our increasingly interconnected and fast-paced world continue to grow. On April 16 and 17, 2002, the Forum on Microbial Threats conducted a working group discussion on the influence of globalization on the emergence and control of infectious diseases.