New WHO/Europe publication: Exploring patient participation in reducing health care related risks

ABSTRACT

 

Patients’ rights have been formulated in a number of documents and guidelines from various international bodies. Laws and declarations on patients’ rights do not automatically make health care safer, but can help to empower patients. Empowered patients are in a better position to manage their own health and health care and to participate in efforts to improve safety. The report presents an overview of legal aspects influencing patient safety and describes examples of patient involvement. It highlights the need to strengthen a continuum of information between various levels of care, including patient experiences, health literacy and engagement. The work is expected to contribute to the wider process of evidence collation aimed at finding efficient ways to build realistic and informed expectations of health care, while encouraging patients to be vigilant and knowledgeable to ensure maximum safety standards. Recommendations are formulated with respect to the macro, meso and micro levels of health service delivery.


Ms. Zsuzsanna Jakab, Regional Director, WHO/Europe highlights:

Foreword

Health is a social value and an individual right. It generates economic benefits for countries and is a prerequisite for national development and individual well-being. Member States of the WHO European Region are addressing major health challenges posed by demographic and epidemiological change, widening socioeconomic disparities, limited resources, technological developments and rising public expectations. Evidence continues to show that addressing the quality and safety of care is one of the main entry points to strengthening health services and contributing to wider population access and coverage.

Regulation and targeted interventions focused on health service redesign are necessary, but not sufficient, to ensuring increased quality, better compliance with safety standards and a well-trained health workforce. Health technology assessments provide evidence of the clinical and  cost−effectiveness of new operational tools and a wealth of information on health and health-related interventions and technologies is currently available for policy-makers, health professionals and the general public. Accurate understanding of this information can help patients and providers to prevent and cure disease through increasing treatment compliance and enabling recognition of safety failures in systems.

The new WHO European policy framework, Health 2020, supports action across government and society for health and well-being and emphasizes the role of good health in ensuring economic and social development. The capacity of each individual to contribute to improving his or her health status should drive effective dialogue with health professionals and create mechanisms for increasing safety and improving compliance with prevention and care interventions.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe is committed to supporting investment in health to address current and future challenges in maintaining and increasing the health status of populations, working in collaboration with national and international partners within the WHO global patient safety strategic framework. In this context, participation of the healthliterate patient is seen as being at the core of the whole-of-society approach to better health that we promote.

 

If you would like to read and download the full report, please visit WHO/Europe website:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/Health-systems/patient-safety/publications2/2013/exploring-patient-participation-in-reducing-health-care-related-safety-risks

SEE Countries´news: Early warning system for cold-waves established in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Photo: WHO

 

 

Cold weather, especially extreme temperatures, can threaten health. Recognizing that the health sector must prepare for and help mitigate the adverse health effects of cold-waves, the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with WHO support, developed an action plan for prevention of the harmful effects of cold weather.

Implementation began in December 2012 with the establishment of an early warning system in which the health sector, the Hydrometeorological Institute and other organizations collaborate to ensure the timely announcement of cold-waves.

You can follow the full information at:
http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/environment-and-health/Climate-change/news/news/2013/04/early-warning-system-for-cold-waves-established-in-the-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia

SEE Countries´News: Policy dialogue on health service delivery in the Republic of Moldova – from evidence to practice

 

Policy dialogue in Republic of Moldova, 14–15 March 2013. Photo: WHO

A policy dialogue on health service delivery, with an emphasis on primary health care (PHC) and access to services was held in the Republic of Moldova on 14-15 March 2013. The event was organized by the Ministry of Health with WHO/Europe support and brought together the main stakeholders in the field.

Read more about the event on:
http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/Health-systems/health-service-delivery/news/news/2013/03/policy-dialogue-on-health-service-delivery-in-the-republic-of-moldova-from-evidence-to-practice

Besides, there are series of valuable recent reports and analysis that might be interesting and useful for all colleagues from the SEE Health Network. Find the links below:

• Evaluation of the structure and provision of primary care in the Republic of Moldova, http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/Health-systems/primary-health-care/publications/2012/evaluation-of-the-structure-and-provision-of-primary-care-in-the-republic-of-moldova

• Barriers and facilitating factors in access to health services in the Republic of Moldova, http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/republic-of-moldova/publications2/health-policy-paper-series-no.-9-barriers-and-facilitating-factors-in-access-to-health-services-in-the-republic-of-moldova

• Health Policy Paper Series No. 8: Analysis of public health operations, services and activities in the Republic of Moldova, http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/republic-of-moldova/publications2/health-policy-paper-series-no.-8-analysis-of-public-health-operations,-services-and-activities-in-the-republic-of-moldova

AN EXTREMELY INSPIRING REPORT: HEALTH IN THE POST-2015 AGENDA

Final report - health in the post-2015 development agenda

The final report of the Thematic Consultation on Health in the post 2015 development agenda is now finalised. The task team would like to thank all global, regional and national stakeholders who contributed to this consultation by taking part in meetings, contributing papers, joining e discussions, and commenting on the various versions of the report. Please share the report widely!

 

From the Executive Summary:

 

Between September 2012 and March 2013 the Global Thematic Consultation on Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda received inputs from people and organizations around the world on how best to ensure the health of future generations.

The objectives for the consultation were: (i) to stimulate wide-ranging discussion at global, regional, and country levels on progress made and lessons learnt from the MDGs relating to health; (ii) to discuss and develop a shared understanding among Member States, UN agencies, civil society, and other stakeholders on the positioning of health in the post-2015 development framework; and (iii) to propose health goals and related targets and indicators for the post-2015 development agenda, as well as approaches for implementation, measurement, and monitoring.

 

Over 150,000 people from all regions visited the consultation website (www.worldwewant2015.org/health). Over 100 papers were submitted by a wide range of organizations and authors, and 14 face-to-face meetings attracted over 1,600 people in places as far apart as La Paz, Dar es Salaam, Abuja, Amsterdam, New York, Beijing, and Bangkok. The papers and meeting reports are available on the consultation website.

The health sector has led the development success of the MDG era and created an unprecedented opportunity to achieve even more after 2015. The health MDGs have raised the profile of global health to the highest political level, mobilized civil society, increased development assistance for health, and contributed to considerable improvements in health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

The report was finalized after the High Level Dialogue, Gaborone, Botswana, 4-6 March 2013.
  













The High Level Dialogue on Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda took place in Gaborone, Botswana, from 4-6 March, 2013, and was hosted by the Government of Botswana and brought together 50 high level participants including Ministers of Health, members of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons and their representatives, Heads of international organizations, representatives from civil society and the private sector, academics, public health experts, and youth. The outcomes of the meeting have informed the final report of the Health Thematic Consultation.
You can read and download the Final Report from the Global Thematic Consultation on Health e-Platform at: http://www.worldwewant2015.org/health 




 
 

 

Observatory Venice Summer School 2013: Innovative Ways of Improving Population Health

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies is inviting public health professionals from Europe to its Summer School in Venice in 2013.

Background:
European countries increasingly recognize the importance of population health interventions in national health policy. Too often though, public health runs along traditional lines, drawing on established knowledge and training but overlooking key developments and issues such as:

· The new contextual challenges posed by the economic crisis, emerging environmental threats and changes in health behaviours;
· Improvements in measurement of health needs, risks, health outcomes and performance;
· New evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fiscal, regulatory and behavioural interventions on health determinants;
· Technological advances in human genomics and biomarkers; information systems and social communication;
· Innovations in organization and skill mix.

Objectives:
The Summer School will build on participants’ own knowledge and expertise in public health and marshal the latest evidence on new developments to

( I ) Provide a state of the art account of innovative strategies to improve population health
( II ) Assess the implications of improved measurement (of burden of disease, determinants of health; health outcomes and well-being) for both old and new challenges;
( III ) Interpret what innovative interventions mean for improving population health; and
( IV ) Draw practical policy and implementation lessons to deliver better public health interventions.

Faculty:
The Summer School will involve a group of expert lecturers and facilitators from international organizations and centres of expertise and will be led by

Reinhard Busse (European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and Berlin University of Technology) as Director

Martin McKee European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) as Co-Director

Applicants/participants:
Summer School is primarily aimed at senior to mid-level policy-makers, with some junior professionals. All participants should be working in a decision-making or advisory institution (government, nongovernmental, health institute, insurance board or association, regulator, hospital federation or other professional body) that focuses on policy and management at a regional, national or European level.

How to apply:
For more information and the application form please see the Summer School website:
http://www.observatorysummerschool.org/index.php

Please send any questions regarding the Summer School to the following email: summerschool2013@obs.euro.who.int

For more information please follow the link:         

http://www.observatorysummerschool.org/index.php

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The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the dynamics of health care systems in Europe.

     

The Observatory is a partnership between the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the Governments of Belgium, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the Veneto Region of Italy, The European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, UNCAM (French National Union of Health Insurance Funds), the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
     
Visit the Observatory´s web site http://www.healthobservatory.eu
Consult the Observatory privacy statement at http://www.euro.who.int/en/home/projects/observatory/admin/privacy-statement

Presentation: Health 2020: a new European policy framework for health and well-being

An excellent presentation of WHO Regional Office for Europe!

See it for yourself:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/who-we-are/regional-director/speeches-and-presentations-by-year/2013/presentation-health-2020-a-new-european-policy-framework-for-health-and-well-being

Congratulations!

Special congratulations to all dear colleagues and friends of the SEE Health Network on the occasion of the World Health Day!

Special congratulations to all colleagues all over the world who follow us through this blog!

The SEE Health  Network Executive Committee and Secretariat wish all health workers strength, enery, dedication and enthusiasm to continue our noble work for the health of the people everywhere!