Which expert panel has influenced the direction of safety for national healthcare?

• A. Institute of Medicine (IOM)
• B. National Academy of Medicine
• C. World Health Organization
• D. National Institutes of Health

Answer: (A)

Expert panels guide national healthcare safety by synthesizing evidence, identifying risks, and making concrete recommendations that policymakers, providers, and institutions can implement. The Institute of Medicine has been at the forefront of this work, shaping how safety is viewed and prioritized across the nation. Its landmark report To Err Is Human exposed the scale of preventable harm in healthcare and catalyzed widespread changes—from safety culture and reporting systems to national quality initiatives and policy shifts. That influence persists through the organization’s ongoing work (now named the National Academy of Medicine), which continues to produce guidance that steers safety priorities, measurement, and improvement efforts. Other options operate on different scopes—World Health Organization influences global guidelines, and the National Institutes of Health focuses on research rather than directing national safety policy—so the IOM’s historical role in elevating patient safety makes it the best answer.