NEEDS OVERHAUL
Asia's health care is out of touch with public's rights and needs, falls short of people's expectations says the WHO
TOKYO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a major overhaul of the way patients are treated in Asia's health facilities, saying medical care has become depersonalized and out of touch with the public's rights and needs.
Despite all the advances in medical science and technology in recent decades, many people are still not satisfied with the quality of care they receive, said Dr. Shigeru Omi, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific and one of the driving forces behind the call for change. "Health care continues to fall short of people's expectations. There is growing concern about quality, access, and responsiveness, as well as about safety."
One of the problems, he said, is that the approach to healing has become too narrow, with the patient viewed as little more than a set of symptoms. This fails to take into account the fact that body and mind are linked, and that psychosomatic and social factors also affect health.
What is needed, Omi said, is a new approach where the many hidden factors associated with illness and hospitalization, such as anxiety, loneliness, and cultural and social alienation, are also taken care of in a multidisciplinary manner. This care should be delivered in a spirit of partnership, where the dignity of the patient is fully respected and where individuals, families, and communities are also part of a dialogue that responds to health needs in humane and holistic ways.
"Knowledge and technology are our great allies," Omi said, "but we must use them judiciously and holistically, within a people-friendly system that views members of the public as full and equal partners in preventing disease and enhancing health and well-being."
Omi acknowledged that the transition to a new approach would be neither quick nor easy, but he argued that much of Asia, as home to some of the world's fastest-growing economies, was ready for the challenge. But the change would not necessarily be limited to the stronger economies. "What we are proposing is relevant to all forms of health systems at all stages of their development," he said.
The costs would not be great "We are talking mainly about inexpensive, strategic adjustments in the work environment, plus some retraining of health-care staff and auxiliaries," Omi said, adding that the new approach would not divert resources away from the numerous health problems still facing Asia. "We will continue to tackle them with all our energy."
Omi issued the appeal at the recent international symposium in Tokyo on People-Centered Health Care: Reorienting Health Systems in the 21st Century attended by some of the world's most eminent experts on health-care reform. The three-day meeting was expected to produce blueprint for people-centered care in Asia and the Pacific, an initiative of the WHO's Western Pacific and Southeast Asia regional offices.
Omi's call for reform was backed by Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia, who said the overarching goal was recognition that good health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
For this to happen, he said, health systems also have to change. "Policymakers need to recognize that health cannot any longer be viewed in isolation," Samlee said. "Other factors, such as labor laws, the environment, education, and trade and finance, all impact on health. This should be taken into consideration when health systems are being designed."
Omi added: "We need to harmonize people and systems, within the health sector and between health and other sectors. Health must be seen in a broad sense, with all stakeholders involved. Multidisciplinary and multisectoral partnerships will be required more than ever to enable people to achieve optimal health and well-being."
From the patient's point of view, a more holistic, people-centered approach would bring many benefits, depending on the circumstances. They would include:
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Faster healing and a quicker return to family and society.
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A need for fewer drugs.
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Better compliance with drug regimens.
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Reduced exposure to medical errors, which are often a result of relying exclusively on technology and machines.
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Improved quality of life for patients, their families, their community and society at large.
The benefits would also spin over to the hospital side in terms of the professional satisfaction doctors and other medical staff would feel from enhanced patient trust and respect.
Health systems are at a turning point, Omi said. "The way things are done today does not respond to what the public wants. The need for a more balanced system is clear. What we have to do now is to take the action that will make that change happen."
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