Who we are

ISCOME is a global interdisciplinary research center that pursues the vision: “Better communication, better healthcare.” In pursuit of this vision, ISCOME’s mission is to activate international and interdisciplinary research collaborations that harness communication science to improve the quality and safety of healthcare worldwide. 

The founding board of ISCOME consisted of a group of distinguished international scholars from diverse academic backgrounds who met for the first time at a grant-funded conference entitled “Communicating Medical Error (COME) 2013” on Monte Verità in Ascona, Switzerland. The COME 2013 conference was organized by Prof. Annegret Hannawa, who invited leading interdisciplinary scholars from across the globe onto a common scientific platform to discuss current and future research directions for the prevention, intervention, analysis, and disclosure of preventable adverse events. 

Their common vision, shared mission, research passion, interest in translating theory into practice, and enthusiasm to establish impactful collaborations motivated the scholars to reconvene for another meeting in Washington DC in November 2013. The group then formalized into a non-profit organization in January 2014. 

Our Objectives

ISCOME dedicates itself to its mission in a united pursuit of eight tangible objectives:

Goal 1
We aim to integrate the knowledge and practices from communication science and related fields into healthcare.

Goal 2
We aim to develop innovative approaches to improve communication in healthcare.

Goal 3
We generate new knowledge about communication in healthcare through research and evaluation.

Goal 4
We translate research on communication in healthcare into practices to improve patient care globally.

Goal 5
We aim to implement our research findings as practices at multiple levels.

Goal 6
We will disseminate research-based knowledge and information.

Goal 7
We intend to educate and train healthcare practitioners and patients.

Goal 8
Our ultimate objective is to inform policy.

Our Values

ISCOME members share six core values that substantiate their goal-oriented pursuit of the center’s mission. The following keywords that capture these values indicate that ISCOME workgroup members are (1) “transdisciplinary,” (2) “collaborative,” (3) “multi-level,” (4) “evidence-based,” (5) “multicultural,” and (6) “global.”