Publications from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide objective and straightforward advice to decision makers and the public. This site includes Health and Medicine Division (HMD) publications released after 1998. A complete list of HMD’s publications from its establishment in 1970 to the present is available as a PDF.

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  Bringing Public Health into Urban Revitalization: Workshop in ... Released: December 30, 2015

  On November 10, 2014, the Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine held a 1-day workshop titled Bringing Public Health into Urban Revitalization. The purpose of the workshop was to explore public health issues related to the redesign of major U.S. cities, focusing on recent examples from Detroit, Michigan; New York City; and Washington, DC.
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  Considerations for the Design of a Systemic Review of ... Released: December 29, 2015

  The National Institutes of Health- and many other organizations and individuals worldwide- are interested in the state of the science of preventing Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and age-related cognitive decline.
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  Appropriate Use of Advanced Technologies for Radiation ... Released: December 23, 2015

  In recent years, the field of oncology has witnessed a number of technological advances, including more precise radiation therapy and minimally invasive surgical techniques. The increased cost of these novel treatments without adequate assessment of how they affect patient outcomes is a pressing concern given that inappropriate use of expensive technologies is one of the key factors that threaten the affordability of cancer care in the United States.
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  Considerations for Designing an Epidemiologic Study for ... Released: December 11, 2015

  The Department of Veterans Affairs requested that the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conduct a study to respond to Public Law 110-389 enacted in 2008 to determine the incidence and prevalence, as well as the risk of developing multiple sclerosis and other neurologic diseases as a result of service in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf and post 9/11 Global Operations theaters.
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  Assessing the Impact of Applications of Digital Health Records ... Released: December 08, 2015

  On July 20, 2015, the IOM’s Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders held a public session at the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Washington, DC, to assess the impact of DHRs on Alzheimer’s disease research. “AD is the most common cause of dementia in older adults.” An estimated 46.8 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia, and the prevalence is expected to double every year for the next 20 years. Given the few therapies currently available to treat the symptoms of AD, compared to other central nervous system disorders, this session explored how DHRs may be used to help improve clinical trial design and methodology for AD research.
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  Assessing Progress on the IOM Report The Future of Nursing ... Released: December 04, 2015

  In 2010, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which made a series of recommendations pertaining to the roles for nurses in the new health care landscape. Shortly after release of The Future of Nursing report, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action to shepherd The Future of Nursing report’s recommendations. In 2014, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation asked the IOM to convene a committee to assess progress made on implementing The Future of Nursing report recommendations and identify areas that should be emphasized over the next 5 years.
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  Applying a Health Lens to Business Practices, Policies, and ... Released: December 01, 2015

  Applying a Health Lens to Business Practices, Policies, and Investments is a summary of a workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Population Health Improvement on June 4, 2015. The workshop followed previous workshops held in 2013 and 2014, respectively, on Applying a Health Lens to Decision Making in Non-Health Sectors and Business Engagement in Building Healthy Communities.
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  Review of WIC Food Packages: Proposed Framework for ... Released: November 20, 2015

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service requested that the Institute of Medicine undertake a review of the WIC food packages to align the program with dietary guidance in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In response, the IOM convened the Committee to Review WIC Food Packages to address this task.
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  Data-Gathering Workshop for the Committee on Evaluating ... Released: November 19, 2015

  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) asked the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene an ad hoc committee to examine the methodological approaches to collecting data, conducting analyses, and interpreting obesity prevalence and trends at the national, state, and local levels, with a particular focus on children and young adults.
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  Physical Activity: Moving Toward Obesity Solutions: Workshop ... Released: November 13, 2015

  On April 14-15, 2015, the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a 2-day workshop titled “Physical Activity: Moving Toward Obesity Solutions.” The workshop was held 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 different segments of the population.