IHI is pleased to publish the results of an innovative experiment by the co-chairs of the 2006 IHI National Forum (Douglas Eby, Göran Henriks, Mats Bojestig, Sven Olaf Karlsson, and Patricia Gabow). These outstanding leaders recognized that they, like so many Forum participants, are so busy teaching their own sessions and attending other programming that they do not have an opportunity to leverage their expertise and ideas to build new knowledge.

The co-chairs suggested creating a dynamic interchange during the Forum and chose the highly topical theme, “whole system transformation.” A Transformation Track was created to highlight relevant sessions, faculty were oriented at the “Mindwalk” session prior to the start of the Forum, “white boards” were put on the walls to allow participants to jot down their thoughts “in the moment,” and interactive sessions were held at the end of each day to iteratively build a “transformation framework.”

The co-chairs synthesized these ideas in a compelling paper, “Health Care Transformation.” This document presents a strong case for a transformational paradigm centered on the needs and desires of the patient, family, and community. Key elements include clear goals, transparent measurement, health of individuals and populations, integration of care, and interdisciplinary collaboration. These principles overlap with IHI’s high priority research and development initiative, the “Triple Aim.” The Triple Aim focuses on simultaneous, integrated work to improve the patient’s experience with care over time and the health of a defined population while containing cost per capita of health care.

This bold and innovative initiative by the 2006 Forum co-chairs sets a standard for in situ interactive learning at future IHI events.