Leadership Archives - InnoHEALTH magazine

Press Release: The Book Awarded as Shingo Publication Award 2018

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 09:40:30 +0000

PRESS RELEASE

Book ‘‘Innovations in Healthcare Management: Cost-Effective and Sustainable Solutions”, written by VK Singh & Paul Lillrank, bags coveted Shingo Publication Award

A Book “Innovations in Healthcare Management: Cost-Effective and Sustainable Solutions”, jointly written by an Indian Doctor and a Finnish Professor, Dr. VK Singh and Paul Lillrank respectively, has been picked for this year’s coveted Shingo publication award.

The award recognizes and promotes writing that has had a significant impact and advances the body of knowledge regarding operational excellence. The Shingo Institute is most interested in recognizing thought leadership.

The book was published in the USA in 2015. Special Indian edition published in 2017.

Elated over the achievement, a beaming Dr Singh has told newspersons recently that a team of Shingo examiners judged the book on the various yardsticks, “and then observed Singh and Paul have written a thoughtful and engaging book describing various aspects of healthcare management innovations and the journey organizations have followed to streamline the delivery of healthcare while facing unique challenges. The book was written by the two authors using 34 contributors and compiled into 22 chapters of interesting content covering a wide range of topics. Most of the chapters provide a snapshot of approaches taken to improve healthcare management but do not delve into the roadmap for implementation.

The examiners said the book would be a good companion guide to stoke innovative thinking for those involved with a healthcare system.

Innovations in Healthcare Management covers a wide range of topics that can be used to create a Lean transformation roadmap. Not only does the book cover the systemic burning platforms shared by various healthcare organizations (i.e. improve quality, reduce cost, improve patient satisfaction), but the book puts a high value on healthcare improvement from the end-user perspective. Additionally, the book identifies opportunities that impacted communities, supply chain, and stakeholders.

According to them, the book adds to the existing body of knowledge by providing not only tools and techniques for transforming an organization, but also includes real-world examples of Lean transformation within healthcare organizations such as Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore, Stanford Health Care, and the Mayo Clinic. Also, there are examples of Lean tools such as A3, Just in Time, and Quantitative versus Qualitative impact analysis.

The book provides a comprehensive approach to Lean transformation within diverse healthcare environments.

It is full of insights and supported with real examples that benefit the reader regardless of Lean knowledge or level of experience.

On the impact front, they said the demonstrated impact for Innovations in Healthcare Management on the body of knowledge is difficult to ascertain. The number of books sold is not reported. However, it can be inferred there is demand and there has been sufficient impact to justify a second printing with a special Indian edition.

The book has been prescribed in Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) prestigious institutes established by Government of India. The authors indicate in the application that the book has reached all continents, there has been “very big demand” in the USA and Europe, and demand in India is “huge”.

There are 12 endorsements from a very impressive list of healthcare experts from the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, India, United States, Tanzania, Brunei, South Africa, Sweden, and the Cayman Islands. This information all indicates there is some level of impact being made. However, sales figures and the number of books sold is not available from the publisher or any other resource. A general online search does not generate any appreciable insight on demonstrated impact.

The examiners said the premise of the book is quite simple: “A lot can be done with a little. It is reducing healthcare delivery cost yet maintaining quality through technology, innovation, and various quality models like Lean and others.”

The authors’ statement that “trying to do more with more ends up accomplishing less with more” is the reason for any organization to embrace becoming Lean. The examples in this book describe the successful actions taken inpatient treatment goals of better healthcare in less patient time. The authors have done a great job of compiling a wealth of knowledge from across the globe to demonstrate how innovation, technology, and Lean principles can transform the delivery of quality healthcare and reduce costs.

Healthcare is a troubled industry all over the world. There are new approaches in this book we can all learn from. At the same time, what is needed in America may not be the same as what is needed or will work in India with over 500 million people and incredible levels of poverty. In essence, the book focuses on a country with lesser developed infrastructure, and therefore the problems encountered are not unique to India, but also not universal.

The institute which conferred the award said Innovations in Healthcare Management is a compilation of 22 articles from 34 contributors and two authors. The styles of writing used in the articles flow together quite well and contribute effectively to the authors’ objectives. The stories and examples provided throughout the book offer compelling ideas for understanding how to positively impact the delivery of healthcare from Britain, United States, Singapore, and India.

The book contains many simple illustrations and is grounded with facts and visual examples. All of the articles are well referenced. The summary at the end of each chapter provides a linkage back to the overall premise. The book is an easy read and effective at getting the reader to understand the concepts.

Examiners agreed that there are many takeaways in the publication. The authors successfully support the premise that more can be done with less. They prove that people can be very creative and innovative when faced with a meaningful challenge that can be embraced. They also effectively show the importance of relationship management between the patient, medical staff, and ancillary stakeholders and dispel the concept that patient care only occurs between the hospital and the patient.

Additionally, not all the important healthcare innovations have come from the USA, as India is becoming a leading innovator in healthcare, and others can learn from them.

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India aims to eliminate TB by 2025

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 10:37:01 +0000

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Dr. Soumya Swaminanthan needs no introduction. The 58-year-old pediatrician and clinical scientist has been recently nominated as Deputy Director General of the World Health Organisation. Ms. Swaminanthan, the pioneer in Tuberculosis research, advocates the role of research to root out the disease as the country has the highest number of cases in the world.

India’s National Health Policy recognizes the key role that research plays in the development of a nation’s health. The India TB Research Consortium brings together diverse stakeholders to develop new tools – diagnostics, vaccines and drugs – to enable the country to take a leadership role in fast tracking translational TB research and find solutions for the world.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Secretary, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Director General, ICMR) recently at the second International Scientific Advisory Group (ISAG) meeting, states India has the highest number of TB cases in the world. It is widely recognised that the field needs new tools to make a greater impact on this disease, including more sensitive diagnosis, preventive vaccines and new drugs to treat MDR-TB.

The India Tuberculosis Research Consortium (ITRC), formed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Delhi convened its second International Scientific Advisory Group (ISAG) meeting.

The ISAG comprises global experts in the areas of TB research and has been formed to advise the ITRC on developing and translating, research & development leads across four key thematic areas – diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics and implementation research – taking into account the research leads in each area, available both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Barry R. Bloom (Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University and Chair, ISAG) addressing the meeting states, “TB is now the largest single cause of death in the world from an infectious disease.

Hence, the Government of India has made a significant commitment to support research to prevent and control the disease in India.” India’s National Strategic Plan 2017 for TB elimination aims to achieve and maintain a cure rate of >85% in new sputum positive patients for TB and reduce incidence of new cases, to reach elimination status by the year 2025.

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Read all the issues of InnoHEALTH magazine:
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 1 (July to September 2016) – https://goo.gl/iWAwN2
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 2 (October to December 2016) – https://goo.gl/4GGMJz
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 1 (January to March 2017) – https://goo.gl/DEyKnw
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 2 (April to June 2017) – https://goo.gl/Nv3eev
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 3 (July to September 2017) – https://goo.gl/MCVjd6
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 4 (October to December 2017) – http://amzn.to/2B2UMLw
InnoHEALTH Volume 3 Issue 1 (January to March 2018) – https://goo.gl/fksdQx

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HEALTH PROMOTION WITHIN WHO FAMILY CITIES IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 11 May 2017 09:32:04 +0000

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Health Promotion within WHO Healthy Cities in the Baltic Sea Region

Johanna Reiman is M.Sc. (Agriculture), M.Sc. (Economics), and has 28 years working experience in health and wellbeing. She has organized tons of international conferences and seminars, promoted multi-stakeholder programmes and projects and promoted ideas to innovations.

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There are challenges in taking health as a core of the planning process in the cities. Lack of clear responsibilities in part of the municipalities, weak leadership for health, and missing procedures are only a few examples. This results in insufficient budget allocations. Economic challenges continuously overweigh health in decision–making, even if choosing correct actions could bring considerable savings. It is essential that the municipality or region knows the health situation in the respected area and has the resources and skills to analyse impacts of major policies from the health perspective. Political will and legal backing are also important in bringing cross- sectoral health promotion into practice.

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Health promotion work needs innovations on the local level. Healthy Cities is a programme which encourages cities and municipalities for cross-sectoral work. Health and wellbeing should be put high on the agenda of the cities. Structures are needed to ensure the sustainability of the work. This means that all city functions must take health promotion into account. Education, transport, urban planning, culture and youth services should take residents’ health to their plans. It is advisable to build a cross-sectoral health and wellbeing board which follows the plans and activities. Healthy Cities is about involving all sectors.

Healthy Cities work in phases and the themes vary. Phase VI (2014-2018) themes are linked to European Health 2020 strategy. Thus, the topics are 1) improving health for all and reducing health inequities; and 2) improving leadership and participatory governance for health.

All in all, the health promotion work is connected to urban health. Urbanization is a trend all over the world. People move to cities as there are most of the jobs. Cities also have a wide variety of culture and possibilities for various types of housing. City life may – despite its benefits – bring aspects which are harmful to life. Loneliness, sedative lifestyle, pollution and lack of social belonging are serious problems which affect people’s lives. Cities should find innovative solutions to the challenges their people face over the life course.

European Health Challenges

Europe is facing big changes which affect the health of the population. Societies are ageing rapidly. Unemployment is a problem of young people and affects also persons in middle age and older. Migration changes the services needed. Urbanization means that planning becomes more challenging for cities. Ensuring the wellbeing of the population requires an open mind and readiness for cooperation. Municipalities have to start to combat the challenged together with companies and non-governmental organisations. World Health Organization is willing to help cities plan their work for the health of the residents. In Healthy Cities programme open local innovations are shared among the network members.

Western lifestyle is a threat to the society. The health data show that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause the biggest disease burden in all European countries. Illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases account for an ever larger share of fatal illnesses. This challenge is being faced by other parts of the world also.

In the Baltic Sea Region countries, non-communicable diseases cause about 80 % of deaths. These diseases are preventable and can be avoided by the modification of unhealthy lifestyles, e.g. healthy habits. Diets containing more vegetables, adequate physical activity and the avoidance of smoking should all be adopted. The national governments recognize this necessity in their health programmes and strategies. How they are implemented depends on the capacity of the municipalities, their politicians, public health administrators and methods of working. Healthy Cities programme states that unifying the efforts of different sectors and making health promotion not only effective otherwise but also cost-effective.

WHO Healthy Cities– How Did It Start?

For decades, United Nations organisations have traditionally worked with ministries and nations. Healthy Cities began as a World Health Organization project in 1987. It has over the years become a movement with very committed cities. The network has an annual business and technical conference and also runs several sub-networks. The WHO Healthy Cities programme has promoted cross-sectoral well-being effort as well as comprehensive and systematic policies and planning for health. The Healthy Cities movement is present in more than 30 European countries and over 1400 cities and regions.

Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association has served as a World Health Organization Collaboration Centre for Healthy Cities and Urban Health in the Baltic Region since 2002. The Association assists cities in implementing Healthy Cities’ goals and to build capacity for health and well-being. Furthermore, the Association is involved in health promotion projects, many of which concentrate on promoting cross-sectoral planning for health. The members of Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association include the City of Turku, University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and the Social Insurance Institute of Finland. Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association – based in Turku, Finland – aims at increasing the awareness of local governments in adopting health as a central part of the decision-making process in municipalities.

Health inequities mean that differences in societies grow. In Europe, many people are doing well and live healthy and long lives. However, there are people whose health conditions are bad and they may be outside the society with no education. Despite several years of efforts to combat the inequities, the divide is only growing.

Coordinated Action Is Needed

Social and welfare costs remain to account for a very large share of both national and local budgets in all countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. Promotion of health and well-being requires coordinated action from all sectors of the society at national, regional and local level. It has been confirmed that investment in health promotion is cost-effective and that the best results are obtained if all sectors work together, taking into account the effects of policies on well-being. This means that, for example, education, economic and cultural sectors can strongly promote health. Also, traffic and environmental departments should enhance human well-being.

Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association has accomplished numerous local health promotion projects. Recent themes in the projects include promoting volunteering of elderly people and thus making them participate in the society and find meaningful daily activities (www.letusbeactive.eu). Promoting children’s healthy habits is a theme of a project where the other partners are University of Turku, University of Tallinn Rakvere College and City of Jurmala in Latvia. One theme where the Association has been active is health literacy. It has been found that many Europeans lack understanding of health information. Health and welfare experts should pay special attention to understandable health information and ensure that guidance given is understood.

The World Health Organization definition of health says that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The challenge remains around the Baltic Sea and the rest of Europe to ensure health for all.

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