The EAHP Board, elected for three-year terms, oversees the association’s activities. Comprising directors responsible for core functions, it meets regularly to implement strategic goals. Supported by EAHP staff, the Board controls finances, coordinates congress organization, and ensures compliance with statutes and codes of conduct.
IG1 – Sustainable healthcare – opportunities and strategies
Room:
C
Facilitator:
Lene Kjeldsen
Speakers:
Abstract:
Link to EAHP Statements
- Section 1 – Introductory Statements and Governance: Statements – 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.7
- Section 2 – Selection, Procurement and Distribution: Statements – 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6
- Section 3 – Production and Compounding: Statements – 3.5
- Section 4 – Clinical Pharmacy: Statements – 4.1, 4.5
Abstract
Healthcare in Europe is faced with an ageing population, which is likely to challenge our healthcare system as it is today. Hence, we need to rethink our healthcare system to enable us to provide optimal care using the available resources.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a Sustainable Healthcare System may be defined as a system that “improves, maintains or restores health, while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and leveraging opportunities to restore and improve it, to the benefit of the health and well-being of current and future generations” (1). In other words, sustainable healthcare is based on the 3 pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic and social dimensions), where healthcare is delivered without damaging the environment, considers the economic dimension and has a positive social impact.
Sustainable healthcare is a broad concept, which provides hospitals and hospital pharmacies with a large array of opportunities and obligations to deliver healthcare in a new way. A core element is to establish or improve existing collaboration with relevant partners in order to think differently and create new solutions.
It is likely that we should focus on patients requiring highly specialised care in hospitals and attempt to keep patients in their own homes as much as possible. That will require better collaboration with primary care and delivery of hospital services in patients’ own homes.
Especially technological inventions may assist in improving healthcare delivery over sectors and within hospitals. Examples include e-health solutions such as using e-consultations, which reduces the need for travel and saves costs due to avoiding hospital admissions.
By reaching out to primary care, hospitals may improve collaboration with other players in the field of healthcare such as general practitioners, private pharmacies, nursing homes, medication manufacturers etc… This may prevent disease development and thereby expensive hospital admissions and concurrently improve the quality of care.
By reaching out, hospitals and hospital pharmacies can take responsibility and become a strong partner in ensuring sustainability in our environment.
Learning objectives
After the session, the participant should be able to:
- To list challenges and opportunities of hospitals and hospital pharmacies towards reaching sustainable healthcare
- To discuss the role of hospitals and hospital pharmacies in improving sustainable healthcare
- To evaluate various strategies of sustainable healthcare
Educational need addressed
In order to ensure sustainability in healthcare, hospitals and hospital pharmacies play an important role in working towards updated solutions for our next generation.
Keywords
Sustainable healthcare, carbon footprint, collaboration, health disparities, team-based, telemedicine