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Measure what matters most in healthcare—value, affordability and outcomes

‘Measuring the performance of our healthcare system is crucial to making better policy decisions—but we need to look to the future rather than the past in deciding what to measure’, says Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association Chief Executive Alison Verhoeven.

‘And what matters most in modernised reformed health systems is what matters to patients—value, affordability and outcomes.’

Ms Verhoeven was responding to today’s release of a new online Australian Health Performance Framework by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The Framework is described as ‘a tool to support reporting on Australia’s health and healthcare performance’. It supersedes and replaces other frameworks.

‘The AIHW states that this is an initial release of already-existing data to support consultation ahead of a main release towards the end of 2019’, Ms Verhoeven said.

‘My feedback and that of our members to the AIHW and governments is that at the moment the framework looks heavily “input-centric”. It is looking backwards and counting numbers of consultations, health system costs, numbers of admissions for condition X, numbers of consultations (not people) bulk-billed, and so on.

‘These things are obviously important, but they are not the only game in town.

Read more: Measure what matters most in healthcare—value, affordability and outcomes

Price setting and price regulation in health care (Lessons for advancing universal health coverage)

This study was carried out to describe experiences in price setting and how pricing has been used to attain better coverage, quality, financial protection, and health outcomes. It builds on newly commissioned case studies and lessons learned in calculating prices, negotiating with providers, and monitoring changes. Recognising that no single model is applicable to all settings, the study aimed to generate best practices and identify areas for future research, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. The report and the case studies were jointly developed by the OECD and the WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe (Japan).

Read the whole report at here.

Source: IHF Newsletter

ANTI MICROBIAL RESISTANCE - Turning plans into action working paper

A Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) had been adopted in 2015, at the 68^th World Health Assembly (WHA). In March 2019, the WHO published another key document, “Turning Plans into Action for Antimicrobial Resistance”. To materialize this, Members States adopted a resolution at the WHA 72, calling for continued high-level commitments to implement and adequately resource multi-sectoral National Action Plans. The resolution urges Member States to strengthen infection prevention and control measures including water sanitation and hygiene; enhance participation in Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System; ensure prudent use of quality-assured antimicrobials; and support multisectoral annual self-assessment survey. Press release: Antimicrobial Resistance.

Copyright: World Health Organization
Source: International Hospital Federation Newsletter

Release of the IHF Journal Volume 55 No. 2

Copyright: International Hospital Federation

The second 2019 issue of the World Hospitals and Health Services (WHHS) has been published on the IHF website.

The IHF has been working with its members to support of professionalization in the field of healthcare management, notably with the adoption of the global competency directory for healthcare leadership and management in 2015. Since 2015, significant progress has been made in defining and requiring a competency-based approach in both graduate education and continuous professional development. The articles in this issue of the World Hospitals and Health Services (WHHS) Journal of the IHF showcase recent trends in competencies in health care management training and accreditation programs.

Read more: Release of the IHF Journal Volume 55 No. 2

Accreditation and culture usually go hand-in-hand in health organisations

"The Association's Deeble Institute has released a Health Policy Research Evidence Brief which aims to assess the value of accreditation to health service organizations. The brief calls for a better understanding of the benefits of accreditation to health services. While it focuses on the way accreditation is implemented in Australian health services, the topic is very relevant for a large number of countries' health systems around the world that have embedded accreditation processes.

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) media release is available at Accreditation and culture usually go hand-in-hand in health organisations.

To view the brief, click on "Assessing the value of accreditation to health systems and organisations".

Source: International Hospital Federation Newsletter

One in four health care facilities lacks basic water services, say WHO and UNICEF

According to a recent report by WHO and UNICEF, one in four health care facilities around the world lacks basic water services, impacting over 2 billion people. Moreover, one in five health care facilities has no sanitation service. These services are crucial to preventing infections, reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance and providing quality care, particularly for safe childbirth. At the 2019 World Health Assembly to be held in May, governments will debate a resolution on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Health Care Facilities which was unanimously approved by the WHO Executive Board earlier this year. Read more.

Source: International Hospital Federation Newsletter, World Health Organization

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