IHF 44th World Hospital Congress - Report
From the 8th to the 11th of November I attended an onsite conference for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. It was the 44th World Hospital Congress in Barcelona, arranged by the International Hospital Federation and La Unió Catalana d’Hospitals.
The conference was organized as a hybrid event; attendees could watch the session online in real-time, and some of the presenters delivered their presentations virtually as well. All the virtual components worked impeccably; but I was not the only one with a desire to meet friends, colleagues, and partners in person.
The conference attracted over 1,200 in-person registrants, while over 300 attendees had decided to participate online. This confirms to me that there is an added value in being there. The content of the sessions can be communicated virtually, no doubt about that.
What you miss is the opportunity to have a chat with the presenter after the session, to meet and get to know new people to include in your network; some of these encounters can be planned, but others just occur, as when you share a table with someone in a coffee break or at the social dinner. I also find that being there you may drop into a session you hadn’t planned to attend, or walk past a poster that catches your attention, such as discovering an unexpected gem.
Having said that, I am also aware that many, if not most, of the 300 online attendees would not have attended save for the online option. So, adding this option adds value, too.
Therefore, online events will continue to be an important component of the ISQua portfolio. They provide us with an opportunity to deliver short and focused events of high-class content with a wide and affordable reach.
Back to the World Hospital Congress:
The conference was rich in content that reflected the situation of healthcare right now. Highlights included plenary sessions focusing on:
- Getting ready for the next global pandemic.
- Accelerating research, development, and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Nursing leadership in transforming healthcare during a worldwide pandemic.
- Harnessing innovations to build back better.
- Humanizing technology for smart healthcare delivery.
Sustainability and climate change were on the agenda as well; this is clearly a hot topic that is also high on the ISQua agenda, for instance at the virtual ISQua event on 23rd November.
I had the pleasure to be part of a panel of 7 leaders of health NGO’s discussing how COVID-19 impacted Universal Health Coverage.
Working in accordance with Network-Knowledge-Voice gives ISQua a great opportunity to contribute towards this goal.
I also gave a 5-minute lightning talk on accreditation in 2030, based on the paper with the same title recently written by Wendy Nicklin, Jacqui Stewart and myself.
So, I return with a great experience, new ideas, new friends, and additions to my and ISQua’s network.
I look forward to all of us experiencing the same when returning from Brisbane in October 2022.
Dr Carsten Engel,
ISQua CEO