IHI first articulated the Triple Aim in 2008 as a provocation and ultimate destination for the high-performing health systems of the future. In subsequent years, the Triple Aim has evolved to also include a focus on the well-being of the health care workforce and advancing health equity — referred to as the Quintuple Aim. In this time of rapid transformation of health care ecosystems, this comprehensive framework has provided leaders with a North Star as they create new value-based, equity-centered models of care for populations that are increasingly heterogeneous and complex. 

IHI is helping partners to understand and stratify the needs of their populations, to activate those populations to improve their health, and to map and utilize all assets in their communities to achieve equitable outcomes. We convene learning networks to share best practices and proven approaches, and we develop capacity within organizations for population and community health improvement.

IHI’s focus on populations includes:

• New models of population health management
• Change packages to support specific population segments
• Large campaigns and other population health initiatives to improve population outcomes at scale, with a particular focus on advancing equity
• Strategic guidance to both organizations advancing population health and multistakeholder efforts to improve health and well-being in communities
• Extending reach and impact by building capacity and skills for population and community health improvement
• Providing assessment, design, and capability for comprehensive quality strategies for nations and other large health systems