Stakeholder engagement as the key to a healthier world
At a time when health challenges are becoming increasingly complex worldwide, cooperation is essential to make an impact. Ultimately, we all want the same thing: to live longer and healthier lives. Whether you work at a hospital, health insurer, pharmaceutical company, or are ‘just’ a citizen who wants good care, everyone has an interest in a healthier society. But how do we connect all these different players to realise that?
What often happens in organisations – and this certainly applies in the healthcare sector – is that people operate in their own little bubble. Each party works hard within its own scope and thinks it can find solutions from its own perspective. However, this all too often leads to fragmented efforts. What is often overlooked is the added value of collaboration with like-minded people, both within and outside the sector. Involving stakeholders with different backgrounds and areas of expertise opens doors to new insights and creative solutions. By joining forces with other parties, whether they are patient organisations, government institutions or tech companies, we can achieve results much faster and more effectively. Stakeholder engagement opens doors to new insights.
Fortunately, more and more parties are recognising how essential it is to work together. Take, for example, the National Prevention Agreement, the Green Deal for the healthcare sector and the community-based healthcare initiatives. These collaborations between the government, healthcare institutions, insurers and social organisations show that joint commitment leads to concrete steps towards a healthier and more sustainable society. Nevertheless, we must remain vigilant: if we do not continue to invest in collaboration, we run the risk of standing still and progress stagnating once again. The Integrated Care Agreement was a great step forward, centred around trust and shared ambition. Unfortunately, many parties have recently withdrawn from this agreement due to a lack of financial support from The Hague. This loss of momentum is a shame, because it was an opportunity to build on that shared basis.
Stakeholder engagement is the key. The resulting cross-connections ensure that innovations such as new healthcare models or medicines are widely supported and better implemented. It requires openness, mutual understanding, trust and a willingness to unite different interests. This means not only listening to the ideas of healthcare professionals, but also actively involving citizens and patients, who often have a unique perspective on the care they receive.
By proactively entering into partnerships and collaborating across sectors, we can achieve sustainable improvements in healthcare. Let's set ourselves the goal of engaging in more frequent dialogue and recognising citizens and patients as fully-fledged stakeholders by 2025. My personal resolution is to ensure that they are given an equal voice at the table in our projects with stakeholders. Because only by truly working together can we make a difference.