Editorial
European Cooperation and Management
The European process for integration continues. In Ireland, the vote in favour of the new constitution was clear. Further ratifications have been completed in national parliaments and the remaining final signatures to the Treaty on the new constitution are considered safe. Democracy is laborious but there is no better form of governmental organisation. In particular, the federalist design of decisions is a...
News
News from the European Association of Hospital Members
Dedicated to Healthcare IT EAHM was proud to collaborate with the European Association of Healthcare IT Managers in the organisation of the IT @ Networking Awards 2009 (IT @ 2009) which took place 29-30 October 2009 in Brussels. IT @ 2009 is an innovative event with the aim of bringing the latest healthcare IT solutions to the pan-European stage. Mr Willy Heuschen, Secretary General of EAHM was there to...
National News
UK New Technical Guidance Website for Providers of Healthcare Facilities The new website ‘Space for Health’, linked to the Department of Health’s website, brings together a whole suite of guidance (including Health Technical Memoranda, Health Building Notes and other information) into one online resource for all those involved in the procurement, management, design and planning of healthcare faci...
EU Affairs
European Health Forum Tomorrow’s hospitals must be far more flexible than their predecessors. They must be less wedded to the static concept of bed numbers and more adaptable to patients’ changing needs. That was one of the messages directed to participants at this year’s annual European Health Forum in Gastein, Austria. Professor Martin McKee, the Research Director at the European Observator...
EU News
EU Criticised Over Online Medicines European politicians are criticising the EU’s decision not to legislate against online pharmacies claiming that is a huge omission in the plans to combat counterfeit medicines. German MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, said that the online trade in fake medicines is a growing illegal business that needs to be addressed. The EU ‘pharma package’ of legislation unveil...
Financing
Voucher Schemes in a Public Insurance Health System: A Profitable Initiative?
Healthcare markets are traditionally perceived as arenas characterised by “rationalised” state regulations that aim to fulfil four key goals of healthcare systems: equity, efficiency, effectiveness and patient satisfaction. Due to this fact, both the supply and the demand sides can be regulated. Voucher schemes can be seen as those instruments stimulating the demand side; the purchasing power is transf...
Public-Private Partnerships in Healthcare
Public private partnership (PPP) refers to an arrangement between the government and the private sector, with the principal objective of providing public infrastructure, community facilities and other related services. Such long-term partnerships are characterised by a sharing of investments, risks, rewards and responsibilities for the mutual benefit of both parties involved. A survey in 2001 showed be...
System Partnerships for Successful Hospitals
Hospitals in Europe are under a constant challenge to improve their quality, efficiency and efficacy. This is a significant pre-condition not only for economic success but also for the fulfillment of their contract with society. This demand is compounded by the demographic changes of our national economies and also by medical advancements, ultimately leading to the ability to offer the best and most varied...
Diagnosis Related Groups:A System Perspective
Using Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) is a way of describing clinical activity based on the resources consumed. DRGs were developed in order to define a fair payment mechanism, so that resources were directed exactly where they were consumed. DRGs would allocate resources amongst providers according to the services provided, thus improving allocative efficiency. However, once DRGs are the foundation to pay...
Sustainable Healthcare
A Glimpse of Healthcare's Sustainable Future: New Karolinska Solna Hospital,Sweden
Sustainability concepts are taking root in healthcare, the subject of more and more discussion as the spectre of climate change looms larger. The pressure to reduce environmental impact is being felt all the way through healthcare operations, in purchasing, waste management, water and energy use, energy generation, transport, food service and building design. It may not be long before everyone in the healt...
Management
Managing Clinical Communication for Patient Safety: The PACT Project
The clinical handover process is an integral component of patient care. Communication between clinicians regarding a patient’s condition, treatment plan and care is directly related to the quality of health outcomes and system success. Poor communication has been implicated as the leading cause of medication errors, delays in treatment, perinatal deaths and injuries, patient falls and wrong site surgerie...
Medtech
Portable Ultrasound on the Rise
The ultrasound imaging equipment market is currently seeing a clear trend towards miniaturisation. The dramatic increase in the use of hand-held and portable ulrasound (defined by InMedica as compact ultrasound), has driven additional growth for ultrasound in markets such as cardiology. Developments in the ultrasound imaging market today focus on improvements in diagnostic performance and workflow enh...
Country Focus: The Netherlands
Healthcare System in Netherlands
According to the annual Euro Health Consumer Index, the Netherlands has the best healthcare system in Europe. It topped the European survey for the second year running scoring highly in waiting times for patients, e-health and access to medication. Many also believe that system in the Netherlands is a good model for healthcare in the U.S. This article provides a brief overview of the system supposedly the...
E-Prescribing in the Netherlands
As Europe moves from national healthcare IT programmes towards full-fledged e-health services, many experts see e-prescribing as a key foundational step. There is a strong business case, accompanied by equally strong perceptions, that improving the prescribing and medication management process with IT will directly reduce errors, increase service quality and the delivery of effective care across the spectr...
NVZD
NVZD represents the collective and individual interests of healthcare directors. Their aim is ensuring quality in professional activities and promoting the interests of their 800 members. The Association focusses on developing and maintaining quality drivers in healthcare. Quality healthcare is key. A voluntary accreditation system has been implemented to ensure transparency. NVZD, as an associatio...
French
Editotial
Coopération Et Gestion Européenne Le processus d'intégration européenne se poursuit. En Irlande, le vote en faveur de la nouvelle Constitution était explicite. Les ratifications supplémentaires par les parlements nationaux ont été achevées et les dernières signatures du Traité sur la nouvelle Constitution sont considé- rées comme sûres. Le processus démocratique est laborieux, mais on ne...
AEDH News
L’AEDH était fier de collaborer avecLe but de ce groupe est d'explorer davantage les opportunités et les possibilities l'« European Association of Healthcare IT Managers » pour l'organisation des IT @ Networking Awards 2009 (IT@2009) qui ont eu lieu les 29 et 30 Octobre 2009 à Bruxelles. IT@2009 est un événement novateur ayant pour objectif d'apporter les dernières solutions en matière de techn...
Executive Summaries
Un Projet De Bons Mis En Place Dans Un Système Public D'Assurance Maladie Par Marek Pavlík et Zuzana Darmopilová Les marchés de la santé sont traditionnellement perçus comme des domaines caractérisés par une réglementation publique « rationalisée » : l'offre et la demande peuvent en être réglementés. Les systèmes de chèques ou bons peuvent être considérés comme des instruments de...
German
Editorial
Europsäiche Zusammenarbeit Und Management Der europäische Prozess zur Integration geht weiter. Das Votum der Menschen in Irland für eine neue Verfassung war eindeutig. Zuvor waren weitere Ratifizierungen in Nationalparlamenten abgeschlossen worden und die noch abschlie- ßenden Unterschriften unter den Vertrag zur neuen Verfassung gelten als sicher. Demokratie ist mühsam, aber es gibt keine bessere...
EKVD News
Die EKVD war stolz darauf, mit der ‘European Association of Healthcare IT Managers’ bei der Organisation des IT @ Networking Awards 2009 (IT @ 2009) zusammenzuarbeiten, der vom 29.-30. Oktober 2009 in Brüssel stattfand. IT @ 2009 ist eine innovative Veranstaltung, welche die aktuellsten Healthcare IT Lösungen auf die paneuropäische Bühne bringen will. Willy Heuschen, Generalsekretär der EKVD,...
Executive Summaries
Gutschein-Modelle Im Offentlichen Versicherungsgesundheitssystem Von Marek Pavlík, Zuzana Darmopilová Märkte im Gesundheitsbereich werden üblicherweise als Schauplätze angesehen, die durch „rationalisierte“ staatliche Regulationen charakterisiert sind. Aufgrund dieser Tatsache können sowohl Angebot als auch Nachfrage reguliert werden. Gutschein-Modelle gelten als stimulierend für die Nachfra...