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Are we brave enough?
19 February 2018
Greater focus on patients’ individual needs.
More collaboration and flexibility.
Lesser administrative burden.
This sounds good, doesn’t it? Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t sign up for a healthcare system where this is the norm? I don’t think there is. So… what’s stopping us from getting there? A lack of trust?
Trust-based governance and management. I don’t know about you, my colleagues out there in wider Europe, but at least in Sweden trust-based governance and management seems to be the word on everyone’s lips – at least in the public sector. The government has appointed a Trust Delegation to study and suggest how the governance of welfare services may be developed to better make use of professionals’ competence and achieve greater quality for residents, and my experience as a management consultant is that we’re being asked to visit organisations to talk about trust-based governance and management: Why have it? What is it? And how to do it?
Trust-based governance and management has risen as a critique against New Public Management which has left healthcare professionals with a sense of increased bureaucracy and micro management: rather than spending their time focusing on their core task of meeting patients’ needs and delivering high quality healthcare they are required to spend their time documenting and reporting what they do all day long. Can we just pause for a second and ask ourselves, is that really the way to increase efficiency and quality in our healthcare services?
What if we instead reduce healthcare professionals’ administrative requirements and allow them to use their competence and commitment to make the most of every meeting with every patient in order to find solutions to meet patients’ needs in a flexible and individualised manner?
What if we don’t financially monitor each healthcare department or unit separately but rather apply a systems perspective and collaborate across organisational boundaries driven by the purpose of meeting our patients’ (often complex) healthcare needs as opposed to our organisational financial needs?
What if we simply govern and manage our healthcare systems primarily based on trust, trust in healthcare professionals on all levels and their ability, integrity, and willingness to do the right things in the right way?
Trust has been defined as “the willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other party will perform a particular action important to the trustor, irrespective of the ability to monitor or control the party” (Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D., 1995)
So, for the sake of our patients, are we brave enough to be vulnerable?
Vania Ranjbar – EHMA YAC Chair, February 2018
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I have been active in EHMA since the first years of the '90s and I have seen its evolution from a small association of members interested in sharing knowledge on health management practices to the current status of reference and advisory key player for EU, health systems and organisations, stakeholders associations, industry and universities. EHMA is now a unique knowledge hub, policy advisor, community of practice and network of best in class organisations involved in health policy and management. A place where health managers can build their competences, policy-makers and stakeholder associations envision how to implement and sustain change through health management, industry leaders understand how to engage more effectively with health organisations and systems. The right place to nurture and grow health management capabilities and capacity for every stakeholder of health systems.
Prof. Federico Lega, University of Milan, Italy
Health management has a crucial function in shaping public health and health system challenges. The Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria had success in collaborating with EHMA on EU-funded projects that has resourced us to create new health management competencies for the future workforce. In addition to all classical definitions, health management is a science dealing with individuals, groups, and society at large. It is an art contributing to the beauty of our lives and an interactive communication process at all levels of institutions and human energy. I have also had the pleasure to chair the South Eastern European Special Interest Group which gives members a space to discuss and tools to address how health systems are managed in our regions.
Prof. Todorka Kostadinova, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria
I enjoy the high level of interaction and engagement in EHMA’s activities, in particular during the annual conference where the panel discussions are rich and well prepared. As a hospital manager and professor of health management, EHMA motivates and inspires me to be creative. You go back home feeling energised from seeing old friends and making new connections, as well as being convinced of serving as EHMA’s ambassador. It’s a strong feeling of interdisciplinary engagement, but it also feels like being part of family-like community.
Prof. Sandra C. Buttigieg, University of Malta, Malta
EHMA is a pre-eminent organisation for everyone working in planning, managing and delivering health services across Europe. As a long standing member of EHMA I have always been impressed by the vibrant community of managers, researchers and academics it has created and by the many opportunities for sharing knowledge and funding opportunities it has brought to its members. Its international scope is impressive and its impact is often felt in management and research across European and national health systems.
Prof. Axel Kaehne, Edge Hill University, UK
Health workforce has become more essential in operating, managing and maintaining health systems lately, particularly in crisis and emergency situations. European healthcare professions and the workforce need to be high on the agenda of managers and decision makers. The Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University in Hungary is a longstanding EHMA member, because it connects us with collaborators and experts, with whom we can have complex debates, from whom we can learn and at the end find solutions in various challenging fields of healthcare management.
Dr Eszter Kovács, Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University, Hungary
As a hospital administrator and health management professor, I see on a daily basis that the healthcare challenges require talented and skilled managers to transform it. the EHMA membership has been beneficial to bring healthcare management research and education to the demanding healthcare services world, promoting healthcare management competencies and knowledge creation.
Dr Alexandre Lourenco, APAH - Association of Portuguese Hospital Managers, Portugal
Many healthcare systems in Europe and beyond are facing similar challenges which require innovative and creative solutions. EHMA’s annual conference, webinars, Programme Directors’ group and other activities and resources provide incredible opportunities for networking, connecting and sharing experiences. A distinct feature of EHMA is the diversity of members with representation from many countries, sectors and different communities of practice – academic, policy-makers, practitioners, managers, leaders and students. The annual conference is a highlight in the calendar year, offering a friendly, fun and learningful environment for emerging and established members to engage, collaborate and meet up with old and new friends. I am proud to be a member of the EHMA Board.
Prof. Ann Mahon, University of Manchester, UK
Society evolution, pandemics and ageing modify health needs. So, health policies and services are to change dramatically. EHMA, through webinars, workshops and annual conference provides an excellent insight to a professional changing world, favouring closeness to management innovation and the protagonists of these changes. As a primary care services’ manager, participating in EHMA activities is really worth it and allows to involve oneself in the innovation processes.
Dr Antoni Peris Grao, Consorci Castelldefels Agents de Salut (CASAP), Spain