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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  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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  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.
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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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  Sustaining Global Surveillance and Response to Emerging Zoonotic Diseases Released: September 22, 2009

  Zoonotic diseases can threaten both health and economies around the world. Unfortunately, for several reasons, disease surveillance in the United States and abroad is not very effective in alerting officials to emerging zoonotic diseases. In response to this challenge, the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council’s 2009 report Sustaining Global Surveillance and Response to Emerging Zoonotic Diseases calls for the United States to take the lead, working with global health organizations to establish a global surveillance system that better integrates the human and animal health sectors, resulting in improved early detection and response.
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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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  Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity Released: September 1, 2009

  In the United States, 16.3 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19 are obese. The prevalence of obesity is so high that it may reduce the life expectancy of today’s generation of children and diminish the overall quality of their lives. Local governments can play a crucial role in creating environments that make it easier for children to eat healthy diets and move more. The 2009 report Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity presents a menu of recommended action steps for local government officials to consider in their efforts to prevent childhood obesity in their community.
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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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  Evaluating Occupational Health and Safety Research Programs: Framework and Next Steps Released: August 25, 2009

  Each year, approximately 5,000 fatal work-related injuries and 4 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses occur in the United States. This number represents both unnecessary human suffering and high economic costs. In order to assist in better evaluating workplace safety and create safer work environments, the Institute of Medicine conducted a series of evaluations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research programs, assessing the relevance and impact of NIOSH’s work on improving worker safety and health.
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  Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2008 Released: July 24, 2009

  From 1962 to 1971, US military sprayed herbicides over Vietnam. Because of continuing uncertainty about the long-term health effects of the sprayed herbicides on Vietnam veterans, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act of 1991. The legislation directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to request the Institute of Medicine to perform a comprehensive evaluation of scientific and medical information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam. Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2008 is the eighth report in this series.