Assignment: Action on the IOM Report

An Institute of Medicine (IOM, 1999) report was a wake-up call for both the general public and healthcare providers regarding the problem and tragic consequences of medical errors. According to the report brief, "At least 44,000 people, and perhaps as many as 98,000 people, die in hospitals each year as a result of medical errors that could have been prevented" (IOM, 1999, p. 1). The report recommends a four-tiered approach as a strategy for addressing this problem.

In this assignment, you will read the report and then evaluate how the healthcare system has responded to each of the four recommendations made in the report.

Use sources other than the textbook to find information about how the US healthcare system is acting on the four recommendations in the IOM report. You may use journal articles, government reports, reports or findings of public organizations, and other authoritative sources. The following are sources of information on two of the recommendations:

The first recommendation (about creating leadership) refers to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Use the AHRQ website.

The third recommendation (about actions of oversight organizations, professional groups, and group purchasers of healthcare) identifies the Leapfrog Group.

Respond to the following:

Which of the IOM recommendations do you feel provides the greatest impact on patient safety? Why?

Assess the US healthcare system's actions regarding the four recommendations in the IOM report. Which recommendation provides the most impact on patient safety? Which provides the least? Justify your answer.

What is your overall assessment of how the US healthcare system is performing with regard to patient safety in response to the IOM recommendations?

Give examples of actions by the healthcare industry and cite sources.