http://www.feedburner.comInstitute of Medicine RSS feed for new ReportsThe Institute of Medicine conducted a study on the current status of, and future opportunities to improve, cardiac arrest treatment and outcomes in the United States. This report examines the complete system of response to cardiac arrest in the United States and identifies opportunities within existing and new treatments, strategies, and research that promise to improve survival and recovery of patients.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Strategies-to-Improve-Cardiac-Arrest-Survival.aspx6/30/2015The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Crossing the Quality Chasm identified six fundamental aims for health care—that it be safe, effective, patient-centered, efficient, equitable, and timely. Of these fundamental aims, timeliness is in some ways the least well studied and understood. How can timely care be ensured in various health care settings, and what are some of the reasons that care is sometimes not timely? The report presented here was developed by the IOM Committee on Optimizing Scheduling in Health Care to answer such questions. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Transforming-Health-Care-Scheduling-and-Access.aspx6/29/2015This joint workshop by the Institute of Medicine, the National Research Council, and Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal was held in São Paulo, Brazil, on November 11, 2014, and focused on scaling program investments for young children globally.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Scaling-Program-Investments-For-Young-Children-Globally.aspx6/26/2015Biological differences between the sexes influence not only individual health but also public health, biomedical research, and health care. The IOM held a workshop March 8-9, 2010, to discuss sex differences and their implications for translational neuroscience research, which bridges the gap between scientific discovery and application.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Sex-Differences-and-Implications-for-Translational-Neuroscience-Research.aspx6/24/2015Millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders, and most do not have the resources to obtain treatment. The Uganda National Academy of Sciences and the IOM hosted a workshop to discuss the state of care for MNS disorders in sub-Saharan Africa.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Mental-Neurological-and-Substance-Use-Disorders-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa-Reducing-the-Treatment-Gap-Increasing-Quality-of-Care.aspx6/24/2015Problems with how the neurotransmitter glutamate functions in the brain have been linked to a wide variety of disorders, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, substance abuse, and traumatic brain injury. Efforts to understand, treat, and prevent glutamate-related disorders can be aided by the identification of valid biomarkers. The IOM’s Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders held a workshop June 21-22, 2010, to explore ways to accelerate the development, validation, and implementation of such biomarkers.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Glutamate-Related-Biomarkers-in-Drug-Development-for-Disorders-of-the-Nervous-System.aspx6/24/2015The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires that all clinical trials for drugs that affect the central nervous system—including psychiatric drugs—are assessed for whether that drug might cause suicidal ideation or behavior. The IOM’s Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders hosted a meeting on June 26, 2009, to discuss the FDA’s new policy and how to analyze best whether suicidal thoughts predict actual suicidal behavior in the near future.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/CNS-Clinical-Trials-Suicidality-and-Data-Collection.aspx6/24/2015On February 5, 2015, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Population Health Improvement hosted a workshop to explore the relationship between public health and health care, including opportunities, challenges, and practical lessons.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Collaboration-between-Health-Care-and-Public-Health.aspx6/23/2015Many voluntary health organizations fund translational research. An increasing number of these organizations are looking at venture philanthropy as a critical way to advance their missions of helping patients and working to cure disease. A wide range of participants gathered on October 3, 2008 at the Beckman Center of the National Academies of Science for a workshop titled “Venture Philanthropy Strategies Used by Patient Organizations to Support Translational Research.” Participants with experience in venture philanthropy shared their experiences and lessons learned in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness in translational research.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2009/Venture-Philanthropy-Strategies-to-Support-Translational-Research-Workshop-Summary.aspx6/23/2015On June 25, 2008, the IOM Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders hosted more than 70 of the leading neuroscientists in the world, for a workshop titled From Molecules to Minds: Challenges for the 21st Century. The objective of the workshop was to explore a set of common goals or “Grand Challenges” posed by participants that could inspire and rally both the scientific community and the public to consider the possibilities for neuroscience in the 21st century.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2008/From-Molecules-to-Minds-Challenges-for-the-21st-Century.aspx6/23/2015The workshop brought together experts from multiple areas to discuss the most promising and practical arenas in neuroscience in which biomarkers will have the greatest impact. The main objective of the workshop was to identify and discuss biomarker targets that are not currently being aggressively pursued but that could have the greatest near-term impact on the rate at which new treatments are brought forward for psychiatric and neurological disorders.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2008/Neuroscience-Biomarkers-and-Biosignatures-Converging-Technologies-Emerging-Partnerships.aspx6/22/2015On April 18 and 19, 2007, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders, in response to a request from the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, hosted a workshop called “Autism and the Environment: Challenges and Opportunities for Research.” The goal of the workshop was to provide a venue to bring together scientists, members of the autism community, and the major sponsors of autism-related research to discuss the most promising scientific opportunities. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2007/Autism-and-the-Environment-Challenges-and-Opportunities-for-Research-Workshop-Proceedings.aspx6/22/2015On August 11–12, 2014, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Forum on Global Violence Prevention, in a collaborative partnership with the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS), convened a workshop focused on informing and creating synergies within a diverse community of researchers, health workers, and decision makers committed to promoting IPV-prevention efforts that are innovative, evidence-based, and crosscutting. This collaborative workshop also fulfills the forum’s mandate, which in part requires it to engage in multisectoral, multidirectional dialogue that explores crosscutting approaches to violence prevention.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Preventing-Intimate-Partner-Violence-Uganda-Kenya-Tanzania.aspx6/17/2015Combination unit respirators, a respirator that employs the technology of two or more types of respiratory protection, are presently used in the United States by some law enforcement and military units to respond to situations in which there are unknown and potentially dangerous respiratory hazards; they also have some industrial uses and potential for use in emergency response.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Developing-a-Performance-Standard-for-Combination-Unit-Respirators-WIB.aspx6/17/2015Obesity affects 17 percent of children and adolescents and almost 36 percent of adults in the United States. In 2014, the IOM created the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions to engage leadership from multiple sectors in responding to the obesity crisis. In the roundtable's second workshop, which was held on September 30, 2014, presenters explored ways in which sectors can work together to achieve more progress than would be possible with any sector working on its own.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Cross-Sector-Responses-Obesity.aspx6/11/2015On April 14-15, 2015, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a 2-day workshop titled “Physical Activity: Moving Toward Obesity Solutions.” The goal of the April 14-15 workshop was to provide an expert summary of the state of the science regarding the impact of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity and to highlight innovative strategies for promoting physical activity across segments of the population.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Physical-Activity-WIB.aspx6/10/2015The current epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), cause by a filovirus, has spread internationally, now affecting multiple continents, and has become the worst EVD outbreak in history since its discovery in 1976. While the Ebola viruses have typically been studied in laboratory settings, additional biomedical and public health research in real world settings can best prepare the United States to safeguard the public and at-risk workers.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Research-Priorities-to-Inform-Public-Health-and-Medical-Practice-for-Ebola-Virus-Disease-WIB.aspx6/3/2015The committee’s report, A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System, sponsored by The JPB Foundation, presents guiding principles and practical steps to help stakeholders weigh tradeoffs and choose policies that integrate benefits and risks across various domains.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Food-System.aspx5/28/2015More than 1.2 billion people worldwide play video games (online, via console, mobile phone, and other wireless devices), and many may be unaware that programmers often incorporate neuroscience into game design. Given the high prevalence of gaming in today’s society, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders hosted the Social Issues Roundtable at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting on November 16, 2014, in Washington, DC, to explore the neuroscience of video games, with emphasis on relevant scientific, ethical,and societal issues.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Neuroscience-Gaming-WIB.aspx5/26/2015On November 11, 2014, the Forum on Investing in Young Children Globally of the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, in partnership with Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal (FMCSV) in São Paulo, Brazil, held a 1-day workshop. The purpose of this interactive public workshop was to highlight efforts made to scale program investments across health, education, nutrition, and social protection that aim to improve children’s developmental potential.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Scaling-Investments-WIB.aspx5/22/2015To examine pragmatic approaches to incorporating genomics in learning health care systems, the IOM’s Roundtable on Translating Genomic-Based Research for Health hosted a workshop on December 8, 2014. A variety of stakeholder groups, including commercial developers, health information technology professionals, clinical providers, academic researchers, patient groups, and government and health system representatives, presented their perspectives and participated in discussions on maximizing the value that can be obtained from genomic information. The workshop examined how a variety of systems are capturing and making use of genomic data to generate knowledge for advancing health care in the 21st century. It also sought to evaluate the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for capturing or using genomic information in knowledge-generating health care systems.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Genomic-Enabled-Learning-Health-Care-Systems.aspx5/15/2015NASA’s Human Research Program developed a collection of evidence reports that provide “the current record of the state of knowledge from research and operations” for more than 30 human health and performance risks related to long-duration and exploration spaceflights. To review NASA’s evidence reports, the IOM assembled a multi-disciplinary committee with expertise in aerospace medicine, occupational health, radiation medicine, human performance, systems engineering, human-computer interaction, internal medicine, physiology and cardiovascular health, immunology, behavioral health and sociology, task simulation and training, and biomedical informatics.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/NASA-Letter-Report.aspx5/11/2015A substantial body of evidence shows that broad improvements to end-of-life care are within reach. In Dying in America, a consensus report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a committee of experts finds that improving the quality and availability of medical and social services for patients and their families could not only enhance quality of life through the end of life, but may also contribute to a more sustainable care system.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Dying-In-America-Improving-Quality-and-Honoring-Individual-Preferences-Near-the-End-of-Life.aspx5/11/2015With support from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Healthcare Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a committee to identify core measures for health and health care. In VITAL SIGNS: Core Metrics for Health and Health Care Progress, the committee proposes a streamlined set of 15 standardized mea­sures, with recommendations for their application at every level and across sec­tors. Ultimately, the committee concludes that this streamlined set of measures could provide consistent benchmarks for health progress across the nation and improve system performance in the highest-priority areas.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Vital-Signs-Core-Metrics.aspx4/29/2015This brief summary of the workshop highlights presentations and discussion sessions that followed, and it should not be viewed as conclusions or recommendations from the workshop. Statements made and opinions expressed are those of individual presenters and participants, and are not necessarily endorsed or verified by the IOM or the roundtable, and they should not be construed as reflecting any group consensus. A more detailed summary of the workshop proceedings will be available in 2015.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/PH-and-HC-WIB.aspx4/29/2015Stem cells offer tremendous promise for advancing health and medicine. Whether being used to replace damaged cells and organs or supporting the body’s intrinsic repair mechanisms, stem cells hold potential to treat such debilitating conditions as Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and spinal cord injury. Though clinical trials of stem cell treatments are underway around the world, the evidence base to support the medical use of stem cells remains limited. Therapies offered at clinics around the world generally have not received stringent regulatory oversight and have not been tested with rigorous trials. The IOM, the National Academy of Sciences, and the International Society for Stem Cell Research held a workshop to examine the global pattern of treatments and products being offered, the range of patient experiences, and options to maximize the well-being of patients, either by protecting them from dangerous or ineffective treatments or by steering them towards effective treatments.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2014/Stem-Cell-Therapies-Opportunities-for-Ensuring-the-Quality-and-Safety-of-Clinical-Offerings.aspx4/24/2015In 2013, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education held two workshops on IPE. At these workshops, a number of questions were raised, the most important of which was “What data and metrics are needed to evaluate the impact of IPE on individual, population, and system outcomes?” To answer this question, the Forum’s 47 individual sponsors requested that an IOM consensus committee be convened to examine the existing evidence on this complex issue and consider the potential design of future studies that could expand this evidence base.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Impact-of-IPE.aspx4/22/2015Longitudinal prospective studies that follow a population for an extended period (a decade or more) are the gold standard of observational epidemiologic studies, but they are uncommon due to great expense and time needed to conduct them. Even rarer are well-designed cohort studies that include the collection and storage of biospecimens for use in current and future analyses, such as the Air Force Health Study (AFHS). The AFHS is prospective epidemiologic study followed a cohort of 2,700 men for approximately 20 years.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Air-Force-Health-Study.aspx4/21/2015Given the changing landscape resulting from technological advances and the growing importance of interdisciplinary and collaborative science, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders convened a workshop on October 28 and 29, 2014, in Washington, DC, to explore future workforce needs and how these needs should inform training programs.http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/21st-Century-Neuroscience-Workforce.aspx4/21/2015In the devastation that follows a major disaster, there is a need for multiple sectors to unite and devote new resources to support the rebuilding of infrastructure, the provision of health and social services, the restoration of care delivery systems, and other critical recovery needs. In some cases, billions of dollars from public, private and charitable sources are invested to help communities recover. National rhetoric often characterizes these efforts as a “return to normal.” But for many American communities, pre-disaster conditions are far from optimal. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2015/Post-Disaster.aspx4/15/2015