Financing sustainable healthcare in Europe: how to get value for money
18 December 2006 Brussels, Belgium. Leading healthcare, policy and
finance experts have developed a range of recommendations to improve
healthcare quality and financing in Europe. Pat Cox, Chairman of the
European Movement and former President of the European Parliament, presented
the initial findings of a new report on "Financing Sustainable Healthcare in
Europe" at Finland's Permanent Representation to the European Union earlier
this month. Starting under the Luxembourg EU Presidency in 2005, leading
healthcare, policy and finance experts including from the European
Investment Bank, the World Bank, the European Health Management Association,
the University of Toulouse, INSEAD and the London School of Economics in
partnership with the Luxembourg Ministry of Health, the Finnish National
Fund for Research and Development (Sitra) and Pfizer have developed the
recommendations. Quality returns on healthcare investments
"Europe's demographic shift towards an older population has raised
dramatically the challenge of cost and sustainability of good healthcare",
said Cox, who is heading the Steering Committee of this novel multi-partner
expert group. "However, the true issue is not the rising cost of an older
population. In fact, it is encouraging that in most EU countries today
people lead longer and healthier lives than just a generation ago. The issue
is that governments need to invest their available healthcare resources
wisely to provide best quality returns for their patients and citizens."
In several workstreams, the experts have analysed the current status and are
providing cutting-edge recommendations for the financing of quality
healthcare in the future Europe. Some initial recommendations shared today
evolve around these concepts:
- To increase competition in healthcare provision, thereby enhancing
quality, choice, efficiency and equity for EU citizens. The report calls
for comprehensive, results-oriented healthcare in Europe, increased
accountability and clear deliverables to enable a more efficient use of
resources.
- To provide consumers and suppliers of healthcare with the proper
incentives to consume wisely and to produce efficiently. Making patients
financially more responsible for their consumption of healthcare, while
providing them with complete coverage for major illnesses, and
introducing more competition between suppliers can sustain quality
healthcare at lower cost.
- To empower patients through increased access to quality information
relevant to their health yet with appropriate checks and balances to
protect them. And to support healthcare providers to properly manage
patient empowerment, maximising its positive aspects and avoiding
possible pitfalls.
- To reward innovation and to reform health technology assessment
(HTA) in Europe. Governments must balance innovation, medical progress
and productivity gains with healthcare budgets and to do so effectively,
HTA will need to be used more selectively. Significant improvements are
needed on several fronts in order to maximise its potential to improve
efficiency in resource allocation and to benefit patients.
From analysis to action The full report putting forward a
range of specific recommendations for member states and the EU to boost
productivity and help member states solve the pressing health needs of their
citizens today, will be presented at a European Conference in Helsinki in
February.[3] "All EU member states are being invited and we are excited to
see interest already from Nordic and Benelux governments, where interesting
reforms are under way currently", said Hannu Hanhijärvi, Sitra's Executive
Director of Healthcare Programmes.
Beyond the Helsinki Conference Sitra, in collaboration with the other
project partners, is developing national programmes to guide and support
member states in their practical implementation of the report's final
recommendations. "The Conference will mark the start of a determined
implementation programme of workshops and other multi-partner
initiatives to create novel and lasting healthcare finance solutions",
said Hanhijärvi. Concluded Pat Cox: "Traditionally, member states have
little control over whether their healthcare investments really produce best
results in terms of quality for patients as well as cost-efficiency. Our
recommendations will significantly enhance their capacity to invest the
taxpayers' money where it really counts — in the short and the long term."
References 1. United Nations. 2002. World Population Prospects 2002.
Online publication, Population Division of the Department of Economic and
Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. New York: United Nations.
www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2002/WPP2002-HIGHLIGHTSrev1.PDF
2. Wait, Suzanne & Harding Ed, 2006, State of Ageing and Health in
Europe Report 3. The Helsinki Conference entitled `Sustainable
Healthcare Financing: New Approaches For Better Outcomes', February 7-8,
2007, will be chaired by Pat Cox. Speakers include Esko Aho, President of
Sitra and author of the 2006 report on Innovation presented to the European
Commission, as well as leading healthcare experts at the European level and
of international financing institutions. The Conference aims to inspire EU
policy makers with a two-fold approach: it will present the results of a
year's investigation into the main issues impacting on healthcare
expenditure and also launch an ambitious multi-partnered programme of
workshop activity in Europe which will be led by Sitra. Further details and
registration:
www.sustainhealthcare.org
Source: Pfizer To top
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