The congress, which was held in June 2013, was a gathering of the world's key healthcare professionals who provided in-depth insight into the latest developments in healthcare. According to Giuseppe Lacanna, researcher at EGM architecten, the congress has been an interesting platform where several issues regarding the future of healthcare have been discussed.
The congress addressed the differences between the delegates of the member states attending the congress and the impact these differences have on the national healthcare systems. However, there are certain common issues to solve as well, i.e. increasing ageing of the population, the flexibility towards cultural differences within a nation and the implementation of new technologies.
In a poster session, EGM presented the automated policlinic system of the Jeroen Bosch Hospital, which was received very well by representatives from different countries. Trends like this illustrate the changes in healthcare services, which more and more shift to telemedicine using centralized systems for patient’s records, treatments and other details.
Organizer of the event, the International Hospital Federation (IHF), is a non-governmental organization, supported by members from over 100 countries. As the worldwide body for hospitals and healthcare organizations it develops and maintains a spirit of cooperation and communication among them, with the primary goal of improving patient safety and of promoting health in underserved communities.
The IHF vision is to become a world leader in facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience in health sector management. Through the dissemination of evidence-based information, IHF will help improve patient care quality around the globe. World Hospital Congress is an initiative of IHF and is a congress taking place every second year.