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People-centred systems – Discover the #EHMA2022 topics:
17 January 2022
EHMA 2022 is the 27th edition of our Annual Conference on the theme ‘From people to systems: leadership for a sustainable future’. Our Conference explores challenges and solutions for creating sustainable health systems and ways health managers can lead towards them. The EHMA Conference is a great platform to showcase cutting-edge research, share provocative ideas and discuss complex problems with a view to reach implementable solutions. Every year, the Conference attracts research from leading universities, creating space to exchange knowledge on excellent delivery of healthcare and showcase best practices at the country, systems and organisational level. The conference is abstract-driven and features research by leading experts on the most contemporary topics on health management. It is a place for all healthcare stakeholders to come together to exchange innovation and best practices.
Patient-centricity has been a key topic within health systems, giving way to bringing in patients in the decision-making, planning, development, and monitoring of their care. It empowers individuals to take charge of their own health rather than being passive recipients of services. It consists in asking about what matters to patients, providers, organisations, and systems but always ensuring that patients are the final judges of value. Rather than just being empowered, patients co-create and co-deliver their care according to their own wants and needs. Moving beyond individuals seeking healthcare, there is the concept of ‘people-centredness’ which focuses on population empowerment, as well as social services and broader health determinants.
‘People-centred care: care that is focused and organized around the health needs and expectations of people and communities rather than on diseases. People-centred care extends the concept of patient-centred care to individuals, families, communities and society. Whereas patient-centred care is commonly understood as focusing on the individual seeking care — the patient — people-centred care encompasses these clinical encounters and also includes attention to the health of people in their communities and their crucial role in shaping health policy and health services.‘ – World Health Organisation
It is non-negligible that there are debates around the implications of these concepts in the care setting, in addition to the concepts of person-centredness, family-centredness, personalised care, and even user-centred care. Ultimately as health managers and leaders, the focus remains on different models, strategies and processes to ensure that people (including health service users and their support systems, as well as providers) are the priority when discussing value, developing new technologies, and analysing holistic health and integrated care needs. Some questions to be answered when discussing this topic are on how to manage the paradigm shift to people-centred care; what the strategies are to balance evidence-based healthcare management and patient preferences; how managers can further support multi-stakeholder partnerships (including with patients); and what is needed at the policy level to enable the necessary framework to support this change.
Patient engagement, supporting providers, and facilitating their collaboration at different levels of the health continuum has been a key focus at the EHMA Annual Conference over the past years. Have you carried out research that furthers the concept of people-centeredness? Would you be interested in sharing your results with the health management community? Then don’t forget to submit your abstract before Friday, 4 March at 17:00 CET.
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What our Members say
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