Toespraak van Edith Schippers, minister van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport, bij de bijeenkomst van de European Affairs Committee van de International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies en Zorgverzekeraars Nederland op 2 juni 2016, te Den Haag.

Toespraak | 02-06-2016

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to the Netherlands. Welcome to The Hague.

I am proud to say that I live in a country where people with low or no income, who become severely ill, are treated by the same doctors, in the same hospital with the same kind of medication, as rich people. Without having to put their house for sale. Without needing loans or charity. All patients receive the care they need, no matter their income. This is the basic philosophy of the Dutch Healthcare system.

Ladies and gentlemen,
You have gathered from twenty-six different countries. You speak different languages, you have different cultures. Thirty years ago our healthcare systems also differed enormously.

Systems were either public: making healthcare available to all. But lacking innovation and efficiency. Or systems were private. Bringing innovative care and offering great service…If you could afford it, since these were often inaccessible to people with lower incomes.

Today, most healthcare systems around the world unite private and public elements. Universal coverage is the aim for every society. And the way we finance is subject to many international studies and debates. Many systems pay for performance, while we want to pay for outcome.

We share the same ambitions in quality of care, quality of life. We also share the same concerns. No matter where we are from, we all face aging societies, the number of chronically ill is rising and new medical possibilities steer up costs even more. The continuously growing health costs are a reality for all of our countries. How do we keep health care affordable and our systems sustainable?

Now, we thought we had it covered, but there is no time to rest on our laurels. Medical technology is developing at the speed of light. Faster than we could imagine. Like in the field of medicine. More and more medicines are personalized, designed for small groups of patients. Such as people with rare diseases, or specific types of cancers. This can mean the world to patients. Or it can mean nothing at all. Since their prices increasingly burden our system. So, how do we guarantee access for all who can benefit from them?

Transparency is new in health care. We´re coming from an era where the patient listened to the doctor. He knew what was best. Shared discussion making is not the starting point in care. Is the starting point everywhere else in people´s lives. So, it is only logical that patients also expect to be involved in their own care. The doctor becomes a partner instead of an authority. Which treatment is chosen depends on the patient. On his expectations of life. On his hobby´s and work.

To make shared decision making possible the patient needs information. Needs access to data: about the risks, the alternatives, the side effects. This information has to be available, up to date, understandable, adequate and correct. 
To choose a hospital, a doctor, or a treatment. We need data on performances. This transparency is hard to achieve. What is a good result? Which indications do we need? Are they distinctive? What do they tell us? How do we avoid meaningless bureaucracy?

Transparency is also crucial for the learning capacity of doctors and nurses. When patients are cured and when mistakes are made. To improve the quality of care. To learn from their own experiences and those of others.

Transparency is also crucial to patients. Thirty years ago patients didn’t even consider the fact that something could go wrong when they went to the doctor, or a hospital.

Nowadays the internet is always on, no matter where we are. Patients want to know which hospital is best at which treatment. At the same time the smallest mistake is big news. Eroding people’s trust in healthcare. It´s an information paradox. We have to accept it. It is the only way to learn, to get better. To improve healthcare. It is crucial to open up as a sector.

Not only as healthcare providers, but also as health care insurers. You act on behalf of patients. You can help patients in avoiding waiting lists, in choosing the best health care provider. You have to be just as transparent about your performances. Despite the challenge of continuously rising costs, technological and social innovations provide us with opportunities as well. Enabling us to increasingly evolve care around patients. Instead of people traveling to care, patients will receive care at home. Process innovation can make health care much more efficient. Can make people more independent. Can give prevention a big impulse. To stay healthy can be fun! There are more and more apps and technological devices to help you persevere. To help to keep up a healthy life style. New technology can empower people more than ever before.

That is why I look at the future of healthcare with great optimism.

You have a lot to talk about. Good luck!