HealthManagement, Volume 21 - Issue 1, 2021

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2020 was an eye-opener for most healthcare systems around the globe. Fighting against the pandemic required new types of skills, leadership and organisation, and new types of support, practices and supply systems. Everything at every level, from global to the most local, has changed and will never be the same. It is the ‘new normal’. As such, 2021 will be the year to prove whether we have learnt anything from this unprecedented experience and if we are capable of implementing our newly gained knowledge so that we thrive in the future. 

In this issue, we talk about lessons learnt and the future emerging. What comes next? Which practices worked and which need to be changed? How do we improve leadership and management? Does the regulation reflect the realities? In other words, what worked, what did not, and what needs to change. Our contributors analyse different highlights and pitfalls and provide some suggestions on how to adjust and improve.

We ask healthcare experts about the major changes they think are necessary for healthcare in 2021. Prof Christian Lovis, Prof Simona Agger-Ganassi, Iris Meyenburg-Altwarg, Dr Rafael Vidal-Perez, Nosta, Prof Dr Paul Timmers, Sabine Togler and Dr Rafael Grossman talk about the changes they expect, and the improvements that should be made. They emphasise the need for change, and this change, in their opinion, must be significant. 

In light of the vaccination programmes being rolled out across the world, a team of researchers led by Prof Dr Robert Vander Stichele stress the need for global monitoring of vaccine use as well as its safety and effectiveness. 

Dr Kurt Holler talks about the dramatic shifts happening in the field of healthcare innovations in Europe. Prof Florencio Travieso provides an overview of the most promising trends and technologies meant to both disrupt and give a boost to healthcare in 2021. Prof Ahmed Serafi discusses the evolution of teleradiology and how it has become a critical tool in healthcare today.

In the Management Matters section, Bari Berger, GeirArnhoff, and Iris Meyenburg-Altwarg investigate our understanding of the interaction between healthcare professionals’ burnout, morale and competence level and question some current practices of competence acquisition. 

The Winning Practices section looks into several practical aspects of health and care delivery in different countries. Prof Massimo De Vittorio discusses the DEEPER project, funded by the European Union, that puts together technologists, neuroscientists and clinical experts to explore effective treatments for neurological disorders. Patient advocates Maria Chacon and Peter Kapitein highlight the urgent need for upgrading cancer care in Latin America through a united effort.

Prof David Caramella and Maurizio Mian share their experience of a charitable initiative that provided a high-end ultrasound system for critical care patients in Pisa, Italy. Prof Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber and Kaela Miller discuss the need to develop an optimal breast cancer screening approach for transgender women. Dr Shahar Alon talks about expansion technology and the role it can play in treating complex diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

We hope you will enjoy this issue and will gain inspiration from it. As always, your feedback is welcome. 

Happy Reading!