How do we improve the quality and availability of health care as much as possible while keeping it affordable?

Applied research

This challenge calls for a solution and it is aimed at attempting to solve a problem.

Description

Nowadays, health care systems around the world are under tremendous pressure. They face a number of challenges, such as ageing populations, new health risks, funding issues, shifts in healthcare providers, and constant policy changes and regulations. The Covid-19 pandemic has made issues even more apparent of health care systems being overloaded. We all remember the footage of hospitals not being able to deal with the influx of patients or to provide patients with care.

In combination with trends driving up the demand for extra care, and advances in technology, the costs to support and further develop medical services and research are on a rise.

This challenge also touches upon individual accountability and responsibility for paying for health care, and the human right access to proper and affordable health care.

The main goal of this challenge is, to explore the issues health care is facing nowadays, that are driving up the demand for care, while also driving up the costs. What potential solution could be found to ensure that good quality healthcare is available to every human being, in an affordable way.

Perspectives and possible directions

This topic requires a common effort coming from multiple disciplines and perspectives such as health and medicine, economics, law, organization science, public administration, sociology, ethics, anthropology etc.

It could be interesting to look into how new technological developments could play a role in finding alternative ways of improving cost effectiveness of health care, while preserving or even enhancing patient care.

Research on new treatment methods, organizational change and health economics are also aspects that could be considered as valuable to further add to the knowledge base on the topic on the search towards a solution.

Changes in the demand for healthcare, due to for example changing demographics, cultural trends and epidemics ought to be further explored as well. While, the shift in healthcare providers should also be considered.

Lastly, driven in part by demographic changes, a new paradigm of public and private sector collaboration has been developing to transform healthcare financing and delivery. Partnerships with industries such as retail, telecommunications, technology, wellness and fitness are expanding and reshaping the health system. What is the payoff for these collaborators?