Application: Institute of Medicine Reports

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization whose work has helped draw attention to quality concerns in health care. Two IOM reports, To Err is Human and Crossing The Quality Chasm, particularly stand out for the provocative effect that they have had on quality improvement efforts.

To prepare for this Application, review this week's Learning Resources, including the executive summaries of the two IOM reports and the article "Patient Safety at Ten: Unmistakable Progress, Troubling Gaps."

The Assignment

From your perspective as a health care professional and/or consumer, summarize two or three of the most important messages of the IOM reports To Err is Human and Crossing the Quality Chasm.
Analyze at least two of the changes proposed in these reports, and explain how they are expected to contribute toward the desired improvements.
Briefly assess some of the challenges related to these changes. (Select at least one challenge for each change you have chosen to focus on.)

Foundational principles related to patient safety (one of the six dimensions of quality) are addressed in this chapter.

Executive Summary

This report was published by the Institute of Medicine in 2001 to highlight the significant gap between the state of health care quality and where itshould be. The report draws attention to the need to improve the U.S. health care delivery system as a whole, and identifies six areas for improvement: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity. Although only the executive summary is required this week, you are strongly encouraged to read additional sections of this report as you proceed through the course.

This resource presents health care statistics, facts, and messages related to health care quality and reform. The collection of slides describes the current state of health care quality, goals for the future, and ways to achieve those goals.