At HIMSS23, a panel discussion focused on health equity and how technology can help improve population health. While the world has made significant progress in global health, many people still lack access to quality healthcare. The panelists emphasized the need for a more holistic, home-based approach to health and wellness, as well as solutions that can help address shortages of doctors and nurses and increased expenses. Achieving health equity is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach, including a “polyhealth” approach and working together across sectors.
The morning keynote at HIMSS23 opened with Hans Kluge, the Regional Director for Europe at the World Health Organization (WHO), asserting that “without health, there is nothing.” The WHO’s mission revolves around health equity, and Kluge asserted that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are essential to achieving it. However, many people worldwide continue to live in poverty and substandard living conditions. Kluge stated that if the goal is to “leave no one behind,” the world has yet to achieve it. Too many people still lack access to quality healthcare and wellness, and geopolitical situations beyond their control are depriving many others of their health.
A panel discussion on health equity and how information and technology can contribute to the improvement of global population health was moderated by HIMSS CEO Hal Wolf. Joining Kluge were Ernst Kuipers, the Netherlands’ Minister of Health, Welfare, and Sport; Lester Martinez-Lopez, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; and Päivi Sillanaukee, the Ambassador for Health and well-being in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The panel discussed the ongoing digital transformation as a key driver for achieving wider health equity, with assessment tools such as the HIMSS Digital Health Indicator and other maturity models helping healthcare organizations track their progress toward these goals.
The Global Burden of Disease project’s data showed that the life expectancy of the world’s population increased by 6.3 years in just 25 years. While this progress is significant, it comes with significant downsides. For many people worldwide, those 6.3 years are spent living with the disease. Kuipers explained that healthcare expenditures are increasing faster than GDP growth worldwide, and despite all the money spent, there are significant differences in access and outcomes worldwide. Kuipers emphasized that we are again at a tilting point in healthcare and need to change the way we do things.
The panelists discussed their definitions of health equity. According to Sillanaukee, health is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is a state of mental, physical, and social welfare. Equity refers to the stages of rights, opportunities, and states. Martinez-Lopez added that health equity goes beyond subgroups not having access to care, and the quality of care and biases must be addressed. Kluge asserted that the root causes of the lack of health equity are the socioeconomic determinants of health in which people live, work, and play. Therefore, a massive effort is required to work across sectors.
Clinical trials and life sciences research are areas that require special attention. Martinez-Lopez pointed out that many studies for pharmaceutical development have only 1-2% minority representation, making it challenging to make categorical statements about the effectiveness of a particular treatment. A “polyhealth” approach, where every policy has a health impact, is necessary. Martinez-Lopez emphasized that solutions must address people who are isolated or have issues with access. In an interconnected world, Kluge stated that “no one is safe until everyone is safe.” The pandemic highlighted the broken link between health and social care and left many people behind. Martinez-Lopez proposed a more holistic, ideally home-based, approach to health and wellness, with solutions that can help address shortages of doctors and nurses and increased expenses.
