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The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is one of the United States National Academies, and is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization chartered in 1970 as a part of the United States National Academy of Sciences; its purpose is to provide national advice on issues relating to biomedical science, medicine, and health. Its formal mission statement is "Advising the Nation; Improving Health." It works outside the framework of the U.S. federal government to provide independent guidance and analysis. It relies on a volunteer workforce of scientists and has a formal peer review system.
Each IOM report is evaluated by external experts who remain anonymous until the study is published. Though a majority of IOM studies are requested and funded by the United States federal government, other organizations may also request studies as long as they have no financial conflict regarding the outcome of the study. The IOM itself initiates a small number of studies with internal funds. The President of the IOM is Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Executive Officer is Dr. Judith A. Salerno, M.D., S.M.
The IOM works in a broad range of categories, including: mental health, child health, food & nutrition, aging, women’s health, education, public policy, healthcare & quality, diseases, global health, workplace, military & veterans, health sciences, environment, treatment, public health & prevention, and minority health.
The IOM is both a research organization and an honorary membership organization. The Institute’s members are elected on the basis of their professional achievements and capacity for service. They, along with other experts, serve without compensation in the conduct of IOM studies, workshops, and other activities on matters of significance to health.
A diversity of talent among Institute members is assured by the charter stipulation that at least one-quarter be selected from outside the health professions, from such fields as the natural, social, and behavioral sciences, law, administration, engineering, and the humanities.
The reports of the IOM are made available online for free by the publishing arm of the United States National Academies, the National Academies Press, in multiple formats.
The IOM and The National Academies
The Institute and The National Academies use a unique process to obtain authoritative, objective, and scientifically balanced answers to difficult questions of national importance. The IOM's work is conducted by committees of volunteer scientists--leading national and international experts--who serve without compensation.
Committees are carefully composed to assure the requisite expertise and to avoid bias or conflict of interest. Every report produced by IOM committees undergoes extensive review and evaluation by a group of external experts who are anonymous to the committee, and whose names are revealed only once the study is published. The results of these committee deliberations have been relied upon since 1970 to provide policy-makers with objective, scientifically sound advice.
The Institute's work centers principally on committee reports or studies on subjects ranging from quality of medical care to the national smallpox vaccination program; from centers of excellence at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to protecting the nation's food supply. We also convene roundtables, workshops or symposia that provide an opportunity for public- and private-sector experts to discuss contentious issues in an open environment that facilitates evidence-based dialogue.
Additionally, for more than 30 years, the IOM has managed The Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowships Program, designed to train outstanding mid-career health professionals in academic and community-based settings to assume leadership roles in health policy and management.
The majority of the IOM's studies and other activities are requested and funded by the federal government. Private industry, foundations, and state and local governments also initiate studies, as does the IOM itself.
The objective in all of the Institute's work is to improve decision-making by identifying and synthesizing relevant evidence to inform the deliberative process. Over its history, the IOM has become recognized through its projects as a national resource of judgment and veracity in the analysis of issues relating to human health.
Depending on the request, studies may be narrow in scope, designed to answer very specific and technical questions, or they may be broad-based examinations that span myriad academic disciplines, industries, and even international borders. Many of today's health news stories concern topics on which we have reported; others, like childhood obesity, are currently under study.
IOM Members
The Institute of Medicine is both an honorific membership organization and a policy research organization. The Institute's members, elected on the basis of their professional achievement and commitment to service, serve without compensation in the conduct of studies and other activities on matters of significance to health. Election to active membership is both an honor and a commitment to serve in Institute affairs.
The bylaws of IOM specify that no more than 65 new members shall be elected annually. The announcement of newly elected members occurs at the IOM Annual Meeting in October. The number of regular members plus foreign associates and emeritus members is currently about 1,600.
An unusual diversity of talent among Institute members is assured by the charter stipulation that at least one-quarter be selected from outside the health professions, from such fields as the natural, social, and behavioral sciences, as well as law, administration, engineering, and the humanities.
References
- Official website
- List of IOM Reports
- List of Current IOM Studies and Activities
- National Academies Press
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