Putting Patients at the Heart of Healthcare

At ICHOM, our mission is to standardise and drive the global adoption of patient-centred outcome measurement as the benchmark of health and quality.

ICHOM, a Boston-based independent nonprofit with a global focus, advances patient-centered healthcare by developing and promoting standardized Patient-Centered Outcome Measures (Sets) that prioritize the clinical and quality-of-life outcomes most important to patients.

Since our inception in 2012, ICHOM has developed 46 Sets, with more in development, now used by more than 500 medical centers in 60+ countries. Our work spans North America, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Partnerships with patients to co-create our work ensure our efforts address the priorities and needs relevant to lived experience.

Find out more about ICHOM and value-based healthcare in our recent webinar

Who ICHOM is for

Human health and medical conditions are universal—heart attacks and Parkinson's disease affect people the same way globally, with shared desired outcomes. ICHOM serves a worldwide network dedicated to improving health outcomes through standardized value-based healthcare (VBHC). This includes healthcare providers, clinical specialists, researchers, policymakers, and payers. Patients with lived experience, representing about a quarter of each working group, co-create solutions to ensure real-world relevance and address health equity. By tackling global health challenges like obesity, coronary artery disease, and diabetes, ICHOM drives impactful change in healthcare worldwide.

Population Served

Our initiatives benefit a broad range of populations, including but not limited to:

Geography

ICHOM's impact spans more than 60 countries, with targeted projects in key regions. For example, in Latin America, we are piloting obesity management programs in collaboration with public healthcare providers in Brazil. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we are integrating ICHOM Sets for diabetes and low back pain across leading hospitals. Additionally, our partnerships in Africa, including work in Kenya, focused on implementing maternal health standards in underserved rural areas with Harvard Medical School.

Demographics

Race and Ethnicity: Inclusive of racially and ethnically diverse populations, including underserved and marginalized communities. For example, Boston Children’s Hospital utilizes the ICHOM Cleft Lip and Palate Standard Set to ensure equitable and high-quality care for children across diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Socioeconomic Class: Encompasses patients across income levels, with a strong focus on improving access and quality of care for low- and middle-income groups. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Erasmus Medical Center (Netherlands), the implementation of the ICHOM Breast Cancer Care Standard Set emphasizes reducing disparities and improving outcomes for patients from all socioeconomic classes, ensuring that high-quality care is accessible regardless of financial status.

Gender and Age: Recognizing unique needs, ICHOM develops solutions tailored to specific groups of all ages. For example, our pediatric set is used at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Duke Children’s Hospital. While staff at Johns Hopkins helped ICHOM create a set focused on geriatric care, improving outcomes for older adults with chronic conditions such as dementia and fragility.

Constituency

Our constituencies include:

1. Healthcare Providers and Organizations

Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare systems implementing ICHOM’s Standard Sets to measure and improve patient outcomes.

2. Patients

Individuals directly benefiting from enhanced care pathways and transparency in health outcomes, as well as data for informed choices

3. Policy Makers and Governments

Institutions leveraging our frameworks for health policy and payment reform, and population health strategies.

4. Industry Stakeholders

Pharmaceutical companies, regulatory, and medtech organizations supporting and integrating VBHC principles.

5. Academic and Research Institutions

Partners involved in advancing research and best practices for VBHC, new models for clinical research and trial design based on patient outcomes and real-world evidence.

Through our inclusive and collaborative approach, ICHOM ensures that all individuals, regardless of race, class, gender, or age, benefit from improved healthcare outcomes and experiences.

History

Background

The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) was founded in 2012 as a non-profit organization by three visionary leaders: Professor Michael Porter from Harvard Business School, Dr. Stefan Larsson from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Dr. Martin Ingvar from the Karolinska Institute. Their shared vision was to accelerate the global transition to value-based healthcare by addressing a critical gap in the healthcare system: the lack of standardized, patient-centered measures of outcomes.

ICHOM was established to put patients at the center of care by defining the clinical and life quality outcomes most important to them, and to support the use of standardized outcomes measurement to drive improvements in care quality and efficiency. The organization envisions a global healthcare ecosystem where providers are incentivized and empowered to improve patient outcomes, enabling healthcare systems to deliver better value for all stakeholders.

ICHOM convenes international experts, clinicians, and patients to co-develop standard Patient-Centered Outcome Measure Sets (Sets) specific to various medical conditions or specific subpopulations e.g. multimorbid elderly. These Sets are grounded in rigorous scientific methods, integrating patient-reported outcomes with clinically validated tools, and emphasize implementation by articulating recommended instruments, time points for data collection, and case-mix variables.

Since its founding, ICHOM has published 46 Standard Sets, reflecting collaborations with over 1,200 experts from 65 countries across six continents. Today, more than 500 organizations in over 60 countries use these Sets, which have become a cornerstone of the value-based healthcare movement, empowering hospitals, payers, and policymakers to benchmark outcomes and improve care delivery on a global scale.

Legacy Supporters

ICHOM’s work over the years would never have been possible without the significant support and contribution of many organisations and individuals. The following list is far from exhaustive, but we are particularly grateful to;