In a significant move towards hospital transformation, WHO/Europe and the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan recently convened a high-level regional meeting gathering government representatives, hospital practitioners and partners to address the pressing challenges confronting hospitals in the WHO European Region.
At the meeting, WHO/Europe also launched 2 new technical reports that will guide countries’ efforts to address these specific challenges as they heal, improve and transform their hospitals.
“More than bricks and mortar, hospitals are living entities capable of delivering the highest quality of care, so we must empower hospitals to provide specialized care, manage complex conditions and support our primary health-care providers,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, in his opening address.
Hospitals are the heart of health care. They serve as critical centres for care coordination and integration, and are vital hubs for medical education and research. Equally importantly, hospitals are places of work for millions of people every day.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have been at the forefront of the response, providing life-saving care to patients. But the pandemic also exposed some of the gaps and vulnerabilities within hospital systems, such as external pressures, health-care system shortcomings and poor coordination with primary-care structures.
Reimagining hospital architecture and referral systems
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical need for reimagining the architecture of health-care facilities, including hospitals. Hospitals must be purposefully designed, with a strong focus on resilient, adaptable and environmentally sustainable infrastructure that can withstand hazards while prioritizing safety and comfort.
Referral systems in health care are also an issue high on the agenda of countries in Europe and beyond, which are still managing pandemic-induced delays and backlogs. The referral system plays a crucial role in health care, ensuring patients have timely access to specialized care outside the boundaries of hospitals. Streamlining the referral process and enhancing coordination among health-care professionals can minimize unnecessary delays and inefficiencies and ultimately improve patient outcomes and resource use.
New technical reports to guide the future of hospitals
The 2 new reports launched at the regional meeting in Baku aim to support countries in the Region as they reassess their hospital systems. The first, entitled “Hospitals of the future: a technical brief on re-thinking the architecture of hospitals”, is a guide for stakeholders considering building new hospitals or improving existing facilities. It focuses on how to better mitigate environmental and epidemiological risks, and minimize inefficient and stressful health-care settings for workers, patients and organizations. It also looks at how to better integrate hospital buildings within their communities and natural and social environments.
The second, a concept paper entitled “High-value referrals: learning from challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic” proposes several indicators to monitor and benchmark different referral systems. It outlines the essential components of these systems, identifies prevailing issues and common errors, and provides recommendations for improvement. It identifies good practices and presents over 80 areas for action to improve referral systems, including how to manage the transfer of care between various health-care providers and levels.
Next steps
The regional meeting in Baku followed a first technical meeting held in April 2022 in Brussels, Belgium. Building on this momentum, WHO/Europe is now embarking on an ambitious journey to collaborate with countries in developing a framework for hospital transformation that will outline the essential steps and strategies necessary to drive much-needed change in these health-care facilities.
At the same time, together with the Agence Française de Développement, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) and the European Health Property Network, WHO/Europe will establish an inclusive and collaborative platform to align the efforts of diverse organizations and countries towards a shared vision of hospital transformation.
To ensure the success of these transformative endeavours, the group is currently exploring the feasibility of implementing capacity-building programmes that will draw upon the wealth of experience and knowledge of participating countries and organizations. These programmes will serve as platforms for sharing valuable experiences, exchanging best practices and distilling crucial lessons learned.