Mr John Crawford, Healthcare Solutions Manager of IBM General Business who gave an overview of healthcare systems both at home and abroad, including Canada and Switzerland. Mr Crawford told delegates that despite the efforts of competent and dedicated healthcare professionals, many healthcare systems are heading into crisis because of unrelenting pressures related to cost, quality and access/choice. “Without major changes, healthcare systems in many countries will become unsustainable in the next decade,” Crawford said.
“Countries that successfully transform their health services will focus on value and creating better options for the promotion of healthy lifestyles. They will focus on a move from treating patients in secondary care (hospitals) to primary care, including through pharmacies and GP surgeries.”
Mr Crawford said: “The way forward is to prioritise expenditure, providing cost-effective care and rewarding those who provide high quality, cost-effective services, which promote wellness and healthy lifestyles. New levels of accountability, tough decisions and collaborative hard work on the part of all stakeholders will be required to transform healthcare systems into a national asset,” he said.
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