For the World Health Organization and the Oxford Vision 2020 Conference held in December, IAF conducted a global survey of health leaders on the barriers, opportunities, roles and strategies for chronic disease prevention and control. At the conference, Novo Nordisk, one of the sponsors of the Conference released their Diabetes 2020 scenarios, developed with coaching by an AFA team over a two year period. The results of the Conference, including the IAF survey, were published in the Journal of Social & Preventive Medicine.
SELECTED PROJECTS
SELECTED SPEECHES AND WORKSHOPS
Health Canada – Science and Technology Foresight Workshop
In December 2009, Clem Bezold delivered a keynote speech on "Healthcare 2030" for Health Canada, the health ministry of Canada. Dr. Bezold highlighted the significant promise from health science and health technology, such as: advances in our understanding of disease and prevention; cures for cancers, diabetes, and other chronic diseases; new understanding of ageing and how to slow it down; and a recognition of social determinants of health and how to change them. At the same time, Dr. Bezold pointed out that health care systems are unsustainable and sometimes toxic. Both in the United States and Canada, healthcare systems are on track to break the bank. The U.S. Medicare program is likely to be insolvent before 2020. Provincial budgets in Canada, similar to U.S. state budgets, include significant healthcare spending as well. For example, 42% of British Columbia's 2005 provincial budget was spent on healthcare, and by 2017 this spending is estimated to be 70%. Regarding healthcare system toxicity, in the U.S. 98,000–200,000 people die prematurely each year because of medical errors. And pharmaceutical use generates significant side effects and costs: in 2000 there were $148 billion in pharmaceutical sales in the U.S. and an estimated $177 billion spent on healthcare expenses from pharmaceutical use in the ambulatory setting.
In December 2009, Clem Bezold delivered a keynote speech on "Healthcare 2030" for Health Canada, the health ministry of Canada. Dr. Bezold highlighted the significant promise from health science and health technology, such as: advances in our understanding of disease and prevention; cures for cancers, diabetes, and other chronic diseases; new understanding of ageing and how to slow it down; and a recognition of social determinants of health and how to change them. At the same time, Dr. Bezold pointed out that health care systems are unsustainable and sometimes toxic. Both in the United States and Canada, healthcare systems are on track to break the bank. The U.S. Medicare program is likely to be insolvent before 2020. Provincial budgets in Canada, similar to U.S. state budgets, include significant healthcare spending as well. For example, 42% of British Columbia's 2005 provincial budget was spent on healthcare, and by 2017 this spending is estimated to be 70%. Regarding healthcare system toxicity, in the U.S. 98,000–200,000 people die prematurely each year because of medical errors. And pharmaceutical use generates significant side effects and costs: in 2000 there were $148 billion in pharmaceutical sales in the U.S. and an estimated $177 billion spent on healthcare expenses from pharmaceutical use in the ambulatory setting.
PUBLIC HEALTH
IAF has worked on public health on all levels - from international projects for the World Health Organization to our work on community health centers as part of the Disparity Reducing Advances (DRA) project.
PROJECTS
Optimal Futures for Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS)
IAF facilitated a workshop for industry, regulators, consumer advocates, and academics to describe the optimal futures for the FDA's new Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies program. Click here for the PDF report.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commissions IAF to Explore Future of Vulnerability in U.S.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded IAF a grant to develop scenarios describing the alternative futures of vulnerability in the U.S. The project is part of the Foundation’s Vulnerable Populations Program, which addresses critical connections between health and social circumstances. These scenarios will support the Portfolio’s strategy by describing how those connections may evolve over time, and suggesting emerging opportunities to reduce vulnerability. The scenarios will also be used to aid policy-makers to focus on how larger decisions regarding what will affect the vulnerable. Likewise for those actively working to reduce vulnerability, the scenarios will provide a strategic thinking resource. IAF will conduct strategy workshops for two of the Vulnerable Population Program grantees using the scenarios and will make an online virtual scenario workshop available so that other organizations and communities can use the scenarios in their own planning.
Charting the Future of Community Health Promotion: Facilitating the National Expert Panel on Community Health Promotion
In March of 2006, the Institute for Alternative Futures facilitated 25 people representing various health care sectors and broad areas of public health and community expertise. Those invited to the 2-day meeting included experts on community-based participatory research, local community-based practice, aging, and mental health; leaders from community-based and nonprofit organizations; and state and local health department representatives. IAF was responsible for designing the interactive and creative meeting to lead the panel in developing a set of actionable recommendations. You can view the recommendations from the panel here.
PUBLICATIONS
IAF Supports Chronic Disease Strategy at the WHO and Oxford Vision 2020 Conference
Diabetes & Obesity 2025: Four Future Scenarios for the Twin Health Epidemics
This report explores the future of diabetes and obesity by developing four scenarios based in 2025. Each scenario was built using IAF's unique methodology which combines the theories of Spiral Dynamics with traditional scenario building methods. The report was prepared with support by Novo Nordisk and can be found here.
Report to AHRQ from the Consumer-led Workshop to Advance Patient Safety
This project invited consumers into the lead role in advancing patient safety and create a partnership between consumers and other stakeholders in improving health care. IAF facilitated a workshop to create the vision, mission, goals, and action steps to energize a consumer-led change effort. Click here to see the PDF report.