European Hospital managers debate hospitals delivery model

Healthcare is one of the most exciting and innovative industries of the 21st century, and hospitals are the most complex and sophisticated organisations ever developed. However, this industry is facing several challenges. That is why, according to Alexandre Lourenço, President of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH), the 27th European Association of Hospital Managers (EAHM) Congress brings together, in Portugal, the most prestigious international experts to discuss and redefine the role of hospitals.

 

The current model of hospital organisation is more than 50 years old and, according to APAH’s President, "this model has neglected the changes that have been felt in technological, digital and demographic profiles, and in many ways, we continue to work according to tradition or custom, to the detriment of knowledge. Our organisational model is increasingly seen as unreliable, insecure, and prone to error, and that is not the direction we want to pursue. The Health service managers need to be endowed with greater knowledge and skills, necessarily passing through professionalization and transparent evaluation ". This is an issue of greater importance for Portugal "because when we try to evolve and follow international trends we are hampered by the financial constraints and lack of autonomy imposed on public hospitals".

 

To discuss all the key issues that will enable us to "develop a new approach to health services management that focuses on people, their expectations and needs, and all stakeholders," we embrace the 27th EAHM Congress. This event features a program that includes five plenary sessions, varied roundtables and workshops and has more than 100 participants, including members of the European Commission (EC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), since "the challenges we face as an industry cannot be answered only by ourselves, we must involve other social and health network partners in order to promote and implement innovative and realistic strategies in population health".

 

In collaboration with the National Innovation Agency and with the support of the Enterprise Europe Network and the European Commission, the Local Organising Committee also prepared two moments for promoting cooperation between innovative companies and hospitals: "We are talking about the Hospital Innovation Brokerage Event, where we will have start-ups presenting their business ideas, and the eHealth Roadshow 2018 initiative, with small and medium-sized companies from all over Europe being advised by a board of renowned European experts".

 

In short, the 27th EAHM Congress "is part of an agenda for the patient-centred transformation of health services. The Congress will contribute decisively to the implementation of this agenda through the sharing of good practices, the establishment of cooperation bridges and the definition of strategies for the future," concludes Alexandre Lourenço.