About the Workshop 

The workshop, organized under the aegis of the Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life, focused on prevention as the main priority of the healthcare system. Discussions analyzed the main benefits prevention brings in terms of life expectancy and quality of life as well as the significant decrease in costs provided by a prevention-based system. In particular, the workshop approached the following main topics for the Romanian healthcare system:

  • Promoting primary prevention (including access to vaccination) & secondary prevention (including screening / early detection, implementing point-of-care testing).
  • Shifting the paradigm towards pre-hospital medical services / outpatient care, including a qualitative analysis of the costs and overall benefits. Increasing primary care as a means to reduce avoidable hospitalizations.
  • Reducing disparities in the healthcare workforce: the role of digitalization and outpatient care in facilitating access to medical services.
  • Implementing the Strategy for Combating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: analyzing success models and benefits in terms of prevention and the resilience of the healthcare system.

Workshop Format

Chatham House rules, by invitation only roundtable discussion with leading public and private sector decision-makers as well as representatives of academia and patients’ associations. The roundtable was based on questions addressed to speakers and followed by open interventions from other participants, moderated by Prof. Dr. Cristian Vlădescu – Senior Fellow, Healthcare & Quality of Life Program, Aspen Institute Romania. Discussions were held in Romanian, with simultaneous English translation available.

About Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life Program

Aspen Institute Romania’s Healthcare & Quality of Life Program was created to broaden the scope of the debate on health policy and support sustainable reforms in the health sector. It has developed a program community involving all relevant stakeholders (public officials and decision-makers, private stakeholders and representatives of the non-governmental and academic sectors and patients’ associations). It provides a neutral and balanced venue, not just for discussing, but also for acting on critical issues affecting the Romanian and regional healthcare systems.

Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life Program Partners: Roche, Alliance Healthcare, Pfizer, Sanofi, Astra Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Medtronic

Photo Gallery

 

Agenda

08:30 – 09:00   Welcome Coffee

09:00 – 09:10   Welcome Remarks

  • Univ. Dr. Cristian Vlădescu – Senior Fellow, Aspen Healthcare & Quality of Life Program

09:10 – 09:30   Keynote Speech

  • Univ. Dr. Alexandru Rafila – Minister of Health, Romanian Government

09:30 – 11:00   Roundtable Discussion

  • Promoting primary prevention (including access to vaccination) & secondary prevention (including screening / early detection, implementing point-of-care testing).
  • Shifting the paradigm towards pre-hospital medical services / outpatient care, including a qualitative analysis of the costs and overall benefits. Increasing primary care as a means to reduce avoidable hospitalizations.
  • Reducing disparities in the healthcare workforce: the role of digitalization and outpatient care in facilitating access to medical services.

11:00 – 11:15   Implementing the Strategy for Combating Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases

  • Presentation by Prof. Dr. Dafin Mureșanu – Director of Neurosciences Department, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca / President, European Federation of NeuroRehabilitation Societies (online intervention)

11:15 – 11:45   Implementing the Strategy for Combating Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases – Roundtable Debate

 11:45 – 12:00   Conclusions