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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  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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  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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  Addressing the Threat of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Realistic Assessment of the Challenge. Workshop Summary Released: August 26, 2009

  Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death in the world today, with 4,500 people dying from the disease every day. Many cases of TB can be cured by available antibiotics, but some TB is resistant to multiple drugs--a major and growing threat worldwide. The Institute of Medicine’s Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation hosted a workshop on November 5, 2008, to address the mounting concern of drug-resistant TB. The session brought together a wide range of international experts to discuss what is known and not known about this growing threat, and to explore possible solutions.
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  Live Variola Virus: Considerations for Continuing Research Released: July 10, 2009

  Smallpox was a devastating disease that plagued humankind throughout history. Its eradication in 1980 was a monumental achievement for the global health com¬munity. All acknowledged stocks of variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, or materials that might contain the virus, have been transferred to two World Health Organization approved repositories. During the period since eradication, the World Health Assembly (WHA) has debated whether to retain or destroy these stocks of live variola virus. This question will be reconsidered in 2010. In anticipation of this decision, the IOM was asked to revisit the question of sci¬entific needs for live variola virus.
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  Initial National Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research Released: June 30, 2009

  Clinical research presents health care providers with information on the natural history and clinical presentations of disease as well as diagnostic and treatment options. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) identifies what works best for which patients under what circumstances. Congress, in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, tasked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to recommend national priorities for research questions to be addressed by CER and supported by ARRA funds. In its 2009 report, Initial National Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research, the authoring committee establishes a working definition of CER, develops a priority list of research topics, and identifies the necessary requirements to support a robust and sustainable CER enterprise.
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  Accelerating the Development of Biomarkers for Drug Safety. Workshop Summary Released: June 19, 2009

  Biomarkers can be defined as indicators of any biologic state, and they are central to the future of medicine. As the cost of developing drugs has risen in recent years, reducing the number of new drugs approved for use, biomarker development may be a way to cut costs, enhance safety, and provide a more focused and rational pathway to drug development. On October 24, 2008, the IOM’s Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation held “Assessing and Accelerating Development of Biomarkers for Drug Safety,” a one-day workshop on the value of biomarkers in helping to determine drug safety during development.
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  Innovations in Service Delivery in the Age of Genomics. Workshop Summary Released: May 13, 2009

  New discoveries in genomics—that is, the study of the entire human genome—are changing how we diagnose and treat diseases. As the trend shifts from genetic testing largely being undertaken for rare genetic disorders to, increasingly, individuals being screened for common diseases, general practitioners, pediatricians, obstetricians/gynecologists, and other providers need to be knowledgeable about and comfortable using genetic information to improve their patients’ health. To address these changes, the Roundtable on Translating Genomic-Based Research for Health held the public workshop “Innovations in Service Delivery in the Age of Genomics” on July 27, 2008.