- Bogi Eliasen, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy; Director of Health, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies
This conference will examine the application of technology and knowledge to secondary prevention as a first step to building sustainable health. How can we reduce disease burden and increase quality of life and wellbeing? This can be done through timely and precise interventions, with dignity as the core value.
Background:
Today’s conundrum couldn’t be more paradoxical. Never have we had so much money for health, so many people working as health care professionals, such plentiful top-of-the-line equipment, and technology. Yet there remains a very high rate of disease. There is huge dissatisfaction among health care professionals as well as patients. One could say that the entire health system is under duress – and on the verge of a breakdown.
These circumstances point to the emergency of having to think and rethink, realign and redirect our resources for the right things. It is time to rebuild toward sustainable health.
About the event:
In this daylong event organized by the Robert Bosch Academy in cooperation with the Bosch Health Campus, the conversation will focus on the drivers of Nordic Health and the work of Bogi Eliasen, Director of Health at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies and Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Academy Fellow, namely secondary prevention via health and dignity. Germany faces many challenges in reducing the number of hospitals, applying digital technologies, and using data. The European Health Data Space sets new frames; a growing movement is working on applying the aspirations of Nordic Health 2030. This creates significant space for collaboration and learning from one another. The focus must be to address the common challenges faced by Germany, the Nordics, and indeed as all of Europe. For this, we need to bring together the continent’s leading experts. Through interactive sessions, the event aims at exploring the possibilities of the next steps.
The conference’s aim is to produce and publish a summary report.
We invite you to a day of inspiration and collaboration based on four sessions:
- The Patient: out-of-hospital health and the future role of the hospital
The session sets the stage for the current and future needs of and role for patients, the out-of-hospital service/care, community care, the future role for hospitals, and the need for health literacy – with the patient and person at the center.
- Building new economic and structural frames for sustainable health
The session focusses on the structural part of health systems and how we can go from systems on the verge of a break down to sustainable and preventive health approaches by rethinking the role of health in society, and new economic thinking where we apply and use technology to keep people as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
- The technological enablers for a sustainable and fair health paradigm
Technology and science are big drivers for better health systems and solutions. We dive into promising technologies and how they can improve health for the individual and be pillars of a new sustainable health system with special focus on data, digital functions, genomics and multiomics, imaging, smart materials-predictive models, and new leadership.
- Secondary prevention as the central pillar of the new health paradigm
The last session focuses on concrete action: how do we start change where we look at concrete cases and ideas of secondary prevention as the central initial pillar to build sustainable health – the transition from what to how!
About the approach:
The “health and dignity” approach to wellbeing is centred on enhancing health and happiness throughout an individual's life. Its primary focus is to minimize the occurrence of avoidable diseases. Secondary prevention is critical, namely reducing the impact of a disease or injury that has already occurred, for example for people who have either received a chronic disease diagnosis or are at high risk of developing one. The primary aim here is not just to slow or halt the progression of an existing disease but to pre-emptively tackle potential health issues. This proactive approach prioritizes interventions that are timely and precise, ensuring that resources are utilized where they can have the most significant and beneficial impact.
Underpinning the health and dignity approach is a fundamental shift from traditional disease-focused healthcare models towards a more health-centric paradigm. This transition requires not just a change in mindset but also a strategic realignment of health budgets to ensure an equal emphasis on both preventative and curative measures. Incorporating the concept of the “cost of inaction” into broader health and economic decision-making processes is crucial. This shift is pertinent to address the strains faced by health systems of the Global North which, despite having abundant resources, continue to grapple with inefficiencies and challenges. Research suggests that a significant portion, around 30 percent, of the disease burden that these health systems currently manage could be avoided through more timely and effective interventions.
The approach requires systemic changes, such as calculating in the cost of inaction as an economic factor, and the allocation of health budgets equally between prevention and treatment. Clinical care is combined with lifestyle factors like physical activity, nutrition, mental wellbeing, and social interaction. It means leveraging advancements in technology, like high-tech primary care, data use, and new medical innovations, where they have the greatest impact. And it also means enabling a 4th Industrial Revolution in the field of health when it comes to data, digital functions, new biology, and smart materials.
We cordially invite you to join us in transitioning from understanding the "what" to actualizing the "how" of the change required in Germany.