Observatory Venice Summer School 2013

Time for Change: Innovative Ways of Improving Population Health

(San Servolo, Venice, 21–27 July 2013)

Background

European countries increasingly recognize the importance of population health interventions in national health policy. Too often though, public health runs along traditional lines, drawing on established knowledge and training but overlooking key developments and issues such as:

• the new contextual challenges posed by the economic crisis, emerging environmental threats and changes in health behaviours;
• improvements in measurement of health needs, risks, health outcomes and performance;
• new evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fiscal, regulatory and behavioural interventions on health determinants;
• technological advances in human genomics and biomarkers; information systems and social communication;
• innovations in organization and skill mix.

Objectives

The Summer School will build on participants’ own knowledge and expertise in public health and marshal the latest evidence on new developments to:

1. provide a state of the art account of innovative strategies to improve population health;
2. assess the implications of improved measurement (of burden of disease, determinants of health; health outcomes and well-being) for both old and new challenges;
3. interpret what innovative interventions mean for improving population health; and
4. draw practical policy and implementation lessons to deliver better public health interventions.

Approach

The six day course combines a core of formal teaching with a participative approach that includes participant presentations, round tables, panel discussions and group work. It mobilizes the latest evidence; a multidisciplinary team of experts; and the insights of key international organizations not least the World Health Organisation, the European Commission and professional organizations, such as the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), the Association of Public Health Schools in the European Region (ASPHER) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA).

MODULE 1: What is the problem? Understanding the new challenges to population health

Why do we care? – policy needs and expectations

Global Burden of Disease – getting the diagnosis right

Beyond health – what is well-being and how can we measure it?

Health effects of austerity – is the fiscal crisis and political responses making people ill?

Looking upstream – the role of neighbourhood factors & beyond

From laboratory to lifestyle – innovative usage of biomarkers in epidemiology

MODULE 2: What can we do? The evidence on innovations to improve population health

Cochrane, costs, Cox & co-morbidity – finding and interpreting the evidence (data requirements and sources for clinical and economic studies, basic statistical concepts, risk-adjustment)

Behavioural economics: nudge or smudge? – the evidence on promoting healthy choices.

Economics of prevention – making the case for health promotion and disease prevention

Fiscal interventions in nutrition – worth bothering?

Improving the quality of health care – an overlooked strategy for improving population health

Crowd sourcing – advances in geographical information systems

MODULE 3: How do we make it happen? Governing and implementing population health

The cook, the doctor, the economist, the feldsher and the steward – who is responsible for population health and how can they fulfil their responsibilities?

What role for civil society and corporate social responsibility?

The social media – an opportunity or threat to public health?

Whole society involvement – Health 2020 and other health policy frameworks and strategies

Improving public health performance – why are some countries successful and others not?

Participants’ experiences and practice will be central and they will share their perspectives, work in groups and develop a case study that cuts across themes. They will also be able to engage in political dialogue with senior policy makers and representatives of professional bodies. They will be part of the Summer School tradition of encouraging European health policy debate and fostering evidence-based policy-making through raising key issues, sharing learning and building lasting networks.

Accreditation

Summer School is accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and counts towards ongoing professional development in all EU Member States.

Organization

Summer School is organized by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the Veneto Region of Italy, one of its Partners, with the involvement of the World Health Organisation, the European Commission, the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), the Association of Public Health Schools in the European Region (ASPHER) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA).

Applicants/participants: Summer School is primarily aimed at senior to mid-level policy-makers although some more junior professionals will be included. All participants should be working in a decision-making or advisory institution – government, nongovernmental, (public) health institute, insurance board or association, regulator, or professional body – that focuses on policy and management at a regional, national or European level. This year’s School specifically targets:

• national and regional health policy-makers and senior civil servants who need to understand the scope for mobilizing innovations to improve population health.
• senior professionals in public health or the health sector responsible for pushing forward the improvement of population health at both a policy and implementation level
• those with responsibility for developing new generations of population health professionals.

The cost is € 1,950 and covers all accommodation and meals, the course, teaching materials, transfers to and from the airport and the social programme. Applications are welcome from all 53 WHO European Region Member States and the programme will be tailored, so far as is possible, to the mix of participants. If places allow, participants from outside the Region will be considered.

Potential participants are requested to apply by completing a form and submitting it along with their CV by 7 June 2013 to summerschool2013@obs.euro.who.int. Early applications are encouraged and successful applicants will be notified by 17 June 2013 at the latest.

Faculty

The Summer School will involve a group of expert lecturers and facilitators from international organizations and centres of expertise and will be led by:

• Reinhard Busse European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and Berlin University of Technology (TUB) as Director;
• Martin McKee European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) as Co-Director.

Other information

The Summer School:

• involves only limited preparation;
• has all materials made available through the web site;
• has an active social programme which facilitates networking and allows participants to enjoy the magnificent setting of Venice.