Healthcare Systems World Over In The Balance: Need To Find Global Solutions

EHM News Bureau

Healthcare systems across the world are facing problems of spiraling costs, diminished resources and escalating demands and there is growing evidence that the current health systems of nations around the world will be unsustainable if unchanged over the next 15 years. These startling facts came to the light with unveiling of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) report titled ‘Healthcast 2020: Creating a Sustainable Future’. The report warns that many of the health systems will be unsustainable within 15 years unless fundamental change occurs.

The report is based on research, which included a survey of more than 580 executives of hospitals and hospital systems, physician groups, payers, governments, medical supply companies and employers from around the world in 27 countries. In addition, PWC conducted in-depth interviews with more than 120 healthcare thought leaders in 16 countries. They included policy makers, employee benefit managers and top executives of health organisations in Australia, Canada, Europe, India, the Middle East, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Globally, the report says, healthcare is threatened by a confluence of powerful trends — increasing demand, rising costs, uneven quality, misaligned incentives. If ignored, they will overwhelm health systems, creating massive financial burdens for individual countries and devastating health problems for the individuals who live in them.

According to Jim Henry, Global Leader for healthcare, PWC, one can gauge from the responses of the people in all the countries that their current health system was not built to last. "Most countries have some aspects of their health system that are working, but no one country has the magic bullet. We need to learn the lessons of other countries and sectors, and build on the best ideas. It will be up to governments, working together with private industry and consumers who not only have a bigger financial stake but also a greater responsibility in their healthcare," he added. An interesting point highlighted in the report is about finding healthcare solutions by going beyond boundaries. Because they are often viewed as a local industry, healthcare organisations haven't exchanged ideas globally as much as other industries such as manufacturing and services, it says. While each country faces unique hurdles - regulatory, economic, cultural — the challenges they face are remarkably similar. In their responses, common themes are emerging.

"India represents an interesting case study in the global healthcare market as we are stuck with some issues which HealthCast 2020 refers to as fundamental," said Rajarshi Sengupta, Executive Director and Leader of PWC' healthcare practice in India. "On the one hand a public health delivery mechanism and a public health infrastructure that can be enhanced; a divide between urban and rural India where the former is increasingly having to deal with lifestyle-related diseases and the latter is still in urgent need for even the most basic public health services; lack of customised and focused healthcare financing mechanisms; absence of quality of care and safety standardisation; and misaligned incentives structures are making our healthcare scenario seem bleak," he added. On the other hand, a large pool of best-trained medical practitioners, healthcare specialists and scientists; world class hospitals and R&D facilities in the public and private sectors; renowned R&D facilities; exports of trained and skilled technicians, care providers and knowledge workers; increasing, albeit at a slow rate.