Discussion Paper

Amplifying the Voice of the Underserved in the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

by Laura DeStefano | Jun 21, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

In April 2013, in collaboration with the Connecticut Health Foundation, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities convened a public workshop with community leaders and health policy...

Developing a Global Curriculum for Regulators

by Laura DeStefano | Jun 11, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

Context Globalization has resulted in countries importing foreign products in numbers never before seen. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that the products it regulates now originate in more than 150 countries and 300,000 foreign...

Helping Consumers Understand and Use Health Insurance in 2014

by Laura DeStefano | May 29, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

Introduction We are entering a critical time in health care in the United States. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) changes the American health care system in many ways. Of major importance is the fact that it expands access to health insurance for...

Public Health Laboratories in an Age of Austerity

by Jenna Ogilvie | May 9, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

The public health laboratory (PHL) system in the United States is composed of a web of local, state, and federal facilities that provide a broad scope and level of services. Supporting the workforce of the PHL network is particularly challenging due to the impact of...

From Pilots to Practice: Speeding the Movement of Successful Pilots to Effective Practice

by Jenna Ogilvie | Apr 23, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

Rising health care costs continue to stress budgets at all levels—family, employer, state, and national. At the same time, the results from health care are not commensurate with this level of investment. But there is cause for optimism that results can improve: the...

Making the Case for Continuous Learning from Routinely Collected Data

by Jenna Ogilvie | Apr 15, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

  Background Most people who receive health care in the United States recognize that the system is complicated and fragmented. What they are less likely to know is that opportunities to learn from the care provided in hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices are...

Metrics for Comparing User Experiences in Health IT

by Laura DeStefano | Jan 24, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

Introduction In virtually all Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that have touched on patient safety during the last 15 years, information technology (IT) has played a critical role in the future view of safer patient care. This reflects an emerging view of patient...

Strengthening Mechanisms to Prioritize, Coordinate, Finance, and Execute R&D to Meet Health Needs in Developing Countries

by Jenna Ogilvie | Jan 16, 2013 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

Executive Summary In response to issues raised in the report of the World Health Organization (WHO)-affiliated Consultative Expert Working Group (CEWG) on research and development (R&D) financing and coordination and the desire of the U.S. government to obtain a...

Harmonizing Reporting on Potential Conflicts of Interest: A Common Disclosure Process for Health Care and Life Sciences

by Laura DeStefano | Nov 27, 2012 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

The Urgent Need for Harmonization The 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice reported that “patients and the public benefit when physicians and researchers collaborate with pharmaceutical, medical...

Core Principles & Values of Effective Team-Based Health Care

by Laura DeStefano | Oct 2, 2012 | Discussion Paper, Perspectives

  Goal This paper is the product of individuals who worked to identify basic principles and expectations for the coordinated contributions of various participants in the care process. It is intended to provide common reference points to guide coordinated...