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29 March 2012

Better by Design: Creating Healthcare Systems Focused on Tangible Patient Outcomes will Help Asia-Pacific to Thrive and Meet Growing Demand of Ageing Populations


Dramatic increases in chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cancer must be tackled with new models of healthcare that are geared towards improving the lives and outcomes for patients rather than just processes, according to an Asia-Pacific think tank of healthcare policymakers, academics and industry stakeholders at the Economist Conferences’ Healthcare in Asia roundtable in Singapore today.

Evidence-based clinical outcomes are replacing inputs and process as targets against which healthcare systems are assessed in some developed markets. This innovative approach is in the vanguard of reforms and is already evident in a small number of Asian countries, notably in Singapore.

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of Health, Singapore highlighted how an outcomes-oriented approach has helped Singapore to build an international medical hub in the region that is internationally recognised for good outcomes, universal coverage and financial sustainability. However, Mr Gan Kim Yong said improvements are still needed and called for society to “fundamentally re-examine how healthcare services are structured and delivered”.

“With the population ageing rapidly, prevalence of chronic diseases is likely to rise. Effective chronic disease management will require new models of care, especially within the community, to provide sustainable intermediate and long-term care and support.,” said Mr Gan Kim Yong.

Mr Gan shared how Singapore was in the midst of restructuring how healthcare is being delivered in the city-state to perpetuate good healthcare outcomes. He detailed how Singapore's recently announced Healthcare 2020 Masterplan focused on delivering accessible and affordable quality healthcare to ensure that patients would continue having access to high-standards of care.  The approach that Singapore has adopted to achieve these goals is a pragmatic one, focusing on what works in practice and adapting to the local context best practices from around the world.

A panel of experts, including Malaysian Minister of Health, Mr Liow Tiong Lai, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Millennium Goals, Nila Moeloek and Assistant Secretary, Department of Health, Philippines, Nemesio Gako, explored the accessibility, accountability and affordability of healthcare systems in their countries. It was highlighted that greater emphasis is still being placed on curative treatments and a shift towards prevention tis needed to ensure a healthy population for developing nations. This remains a challenge, as lack of education and infrastructure are still major issues, which can have a knock on effect on the health of nations.

"While all healthcare systems in a very general sense set out with the shared aim of helping patients and improving outcomes, the ability to actually deliver better healthcare outcomes will vary greatly from country to country. Focusing healthcare system primarily on an outcomes-oriented framework as a way of measuring performance poses future challenges still, especially in developing countries in Asia,” according to Charles Goddard, Editorial Director, Asia-Pacific, Economist Intelligence Unit. He added: "By assembling experts in the field in one place to address the same issue, our hope is to explore the common themes, tools and best practice thinking that may help to raise the bar across all countries."

Among the government leaders, academics, policy makers and expert industry stakeholders participating in Healthcare in Asia 2012 are Sir Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Paula Risikko, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Finland; Shi Guang, Director, Health Policy Research Division, Ministry of Health, China; David Kalisch, Director (CEO), Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; Wyatt Decker, Vice President, Mayo Clinic; Paula Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Joint Commission Resources and Joint Commission International; Anil Kapur, Managing Director, World Diabetes Foundation; Mary Gospodarowicz, President-Elect, Union for International Cancer Control and amongst others.

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