The PREVENTABLE was presented at the EHMA 2024 Conference, held from June 5-7 at the Politehnica University of Bucharest in Romania, focused on the theme “Shaping and Managing Innovative Health Ecosystems,” exploring key health megatrends, digital transformation, sustainability, and the evolving skill sets essential for the future of healthcare.
Throughout the conference, several critical themes and challenges were thoroughly examined. One major area of discussion was health disparities and equity, with participants highlighting the persistent health inequalities driven by socioeconomic factors. The need for equitable distribution of health technologies and integrated strategies to close these gaps was emphasized. Investing in robust healthcare systems was identified as crucial for enhancing life expectancy and addressing behavioral health issues. The conference underscored the importance of smart investments, health literacy, and evidence-based decision-making to foster a more equitable health landscape.
Transforming healthcare service delivery emerged as another central topic. Attendees highlighted the necessity of strong leadership, adequate resources, and a clear vision to drive meaningful transformation within health systems. The role of patient involvement, agile leadership, and continuous learning were also stressed as key components of successful healthcare transformation. Sustainability in healthcare was a recurring theme, with discussions focusing on how health systems can adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change while maintaining efficiency and effectiveness.
Digital transformation was a significant focus, particularly how digital tools and technologies can enhance healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and streamline operations. Workforce challenges were also addressed, with an emphasis on the need for ongoing training and the development of new skill sets to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving healthcare sector.
The conference also recognized outstanding contributions to the field. Dr. Pedro Ramos received the Karolinska Institutet Medical Management Centre & EHMA Research Award for his work on “Adoption, Adaptation, and Abandonment of Value-Based Healthcare – A Longitudinal Case Study of a Swedish University Hospital.” Ms. Annefrans van Ede was honored for her study, “A New Approach to Health Management: The Implementation of Population Health Management from Theory to Practice.” Ms. Anu Vehkamäki won the Best Poster Award for her research on “Enhancing Healthcare Continuity: Design Principles for Addressing Care Discontinuities.” Dr. Olivier Grimaud was awarded the Best European Paper Award for “Mapping Competency in Public Health Training – Experience of the Europubhealth Consortium,” and Dr. Alina Timotin received the Best Non-European Paper Award for “Online Presence of Family Doctors and Institutions in Primary Healthcare.”
The EHMA 2024 Conference successfully brought together thought leaders and practitioners to address the most pressing issues in healthcare, driving forward the conversation on creating innovative and sustainable health ecosystems.
