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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  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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  Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations Released: September 24, 2009

  There is an immediate and critical need to prepare for a public health emergency in which thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people suddenly require and seek medical care in communities across the United States. In the event of such emergencies, officials rely on standards of care policies and protocols to protect the public’s health. The IOM’s report Guidance for Establishing Crisis Standards of Care for Use in Disaster Situations is focused on articulating current concepts and guidance that can assist in the development of systematic and comprehensive policies and protocols for crisis standards of care in disasters where resources are scarce.
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  The National Emergency Care Enterprise: Advancing Care through Collaboration. Workshop Summary Released: September 9, 2009

  In 2006, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a series of three reports on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System. Following the release of the IOM reports, the federal government established the “National Emergency Care Enterprise,” a collaborative construct that covers federal government activities across the entire spectrum of emergency care. On May 21-22, 2009, the IOM hosted a workshop to bring stakeholders and policy makers together to examine the progress in the past three years in moving the nation towards the IOM’s broader vision of a “regionalized, coordinated, and accountable” emergency care system.
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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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  Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data: Standardization for Health Care Quality Improvement Released: August 31, 2009

  The quality of health care in the United States is not optimal, and the pace of improvement is slow. In addition, disparities persist for specific population groups. A fundamental step in identifying which populations are most at risk is to col¬lect data on race, ethnicity, and English-language proficiency. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) formed the Subcommittee on Standardized Col¬lection of Race/Ethnicity Data for Healthcare Quality Improvement to examine ap¬proaches to standardization. In its 2009 report, Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data: Standardization for Health Care Quality Improvement, the subcommittee recommends collection of more granular ethnicity and language need according to national standards in addition to OMB race and Hispanic ethnicity categories.
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  The U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade. Workshop Summary Released: August 6, 2009

  The current oral health workforce fails to meet the needs of many segments of the U.S. population. This variability in access to oral health services is often related to geography, insurance status, sociodemographic characteristics, and income levels. The Institute of Medicine hosted a workshop on February 9-11, 2009, jointly sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation and the Health Resources and Services Administration to discuss these issues.
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  Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event. Workshop Report Released: June 15, 2009

  While the United States has programs in place to stop terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials, deter other nations from helping them launch a nuclear attack, and intercept any attack before it can succeed, we still must consider the possibility that a nuclear attack will occur. The Department of Homeland Security asked the Institute of Medicine in 2008 to conduct a workshop to evaluate medical preparedness for a nuclear detonation. The workshop, titled “Medical Preparedness for a Nuclear Detonation in a Major U.S. City,” assessed the ability of emergency services, healthcare, and federal, state, and local authorities to respond to a nuclear weapon.
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  Ensuring Quality Cancer Care through the Oncology Workforce: Sustaining Care in the 21st Century. Workshop Summary Released: April 24, 2009

  The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) predicts that by 2020, there will be an 81 percent increase in people living with or surviving cancer but only a 14 percent increase in the number of practicing oncologists. As a result, there may be too few oncologists to meet the population’s need for cancer care. To help address the challenges in overcoming this potential crisis of cancer care, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened the workshop “Ensuring Quality Cancer Care through the Oncology Workforce: Sustaining Care in the 21st Century” in Washington, DC on October 20 and 21, 2008.
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  Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First. Workshop Summary Released: March 24, 2009

  There is great enthusiasm over the use of emerging interactive health information technologies—often referred to as eHealth—and the potential these technologies have to improve the quality, capacity, and efficiency of the health care system. However, many doctors, advocacy groups, policy makers and consumers are concerned that electronic health systems might help individuals and communities with greater resources while leaving behind those with limited access to technology. In order to address this problem, the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop.
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  The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Lecture 2008: Prospects for Health Reform in 2009 and Beyond Released: March 8, 2009

  Through the generosity of the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation, a lecture series was established in 1988 at the Institute of Medicine to bring to greater attention some of the critical health policy issues facing our country today. Each year a topic of special policy relevance is selected and addressed during an evening lecture. The 2008 Rosenthal Lecture featured a talk on Prospects for Health Reform in 2009 and Beyond. The distinguished speaker was Julie Rovner, National Public Radio correspondent and health expert, with introduction by Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD.