Final answer:
The IOM's report on the U.S. healthcare system suggests a need for balance between quality, access, and cost, and to overcome its high costs, uneven access, while preserving its capacity for innovation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Institute of Medicine's report Crossing the Quality Chasm highlights the challenges of the U.S. healthcare system and proposes a set of rules for a reformed 21st-century system. The objective is to establish a healthcare system that optimally balances quality, access, and cost. Notable issues include the system's struggle to provide basic medical care to all despite its high cost and the generation of life-saving innovations. Other countries sometimes have lower costs and more equal access but may lack the rapid access to the most up-to-date care that the U.S. provides. The IOM's guidelines seek to foster healthcare that's both cutting-edge and equitable, maintaining high standards while ensuring broader availability and affordability.