The times given in the conference program correspond to Japan Standard Time (JST).
Using the MED-TF’s Equity standards tool to improve quality of healthcare for vulnerable patients
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Intercultural Mediation and Policy Support Unit, FPS Health, BelgiumHPH-Task Force on Migration, Equity and Diversity
Hans Verrept (Master in Germanic Philology; Special Degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology) did medical anthropological research on ethnicity and health / health care at the University of Antwerp and the Free University of Brussel.
Since 1999 he is the head of the ‘Intercultural mediation and policy support unit’ of the Federal Public Service ‘Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment’. This unit is in charge of the on-site and video-remote intercultural mediation projects.
As a consultant for the COE, he co-authored the ‘Recommendation Rec(2006)18 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on health services in a multicultural society’. For WHO Europe he prepared a HEN-report on the roles and effectiveness of intercultural mediators in health care (2019).
Alongside James Glover from the Irish NHS, he currently leads the Migration, Equity, and Diversity Task Force, which aims to improve healthcare for migrants and other vulnerable groups.
VERREPT Hans; GLOVER James; HÄKKINEN Eeva; NWOBO John; BRAEM Clémence (Click to visit the co-authors' bios)
Increasing levels of population migration and diversity globally present a challenge to healthcare providers. Experience has shown that migrant patients and members of minority ethnic communities and other disadvantaged groups tend to receive lower levels of healthcare compared to host country nationals.
As early as 2012, the HPH Task Force – Migration, Equity & Diversity (MED-TF) developed and tested a self-assessment tool (SAT) consisting of a set of standards aiming at monitoring and measuring equity in health care. This tool was based on an extensive critical literature review, supplemented by several expert workshops and consultations. An improved version was implemented in 2014 across 54 health care organisations in 16 countries.
In 2023, the MED-TF was asked by the HPH-governance board to update the Equity standards and to align them with the 2020 HPH standards. During our presentation, we will discuss the new SAT and invite health care organizations to utilize them as part of a co-ordinated campaign across participating nations. Completing the SAT to benchmark organizational performance against the standards is part of a wider process that also includes:
The MED-TF will provide online training and support to participant organizations. These will be invited to submit the results of their equity analysis online. During hybrid international conferences, results of the self-assessments, the identified areas of improvement, and most importantly, best practices will be shared and discussed.
Hans Verrept, Intercultural Mediation and Policy Support Unit, FPS Health, Belgium hans.verrepthealth.fgovbe +32 2 524 86 07
James Glover (link to bio), National Human Resources, Health Service Executive, Irelandjames.gloverhseie +353 87400 4020
Strengthening health equity: Protection strategies for vulnerable workers in (HPH) organizations
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
Professor Mo-Yeol Kang is an occupational health expert with a robust academic and professional background. He holds a Doctor’s degree and a Master’s degree from Seoul National University College of Medicine, and a Bachelor’s degree from Korea University College of Medicine.
Currently, he is a Professor at The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, specializing in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
His research interests include the health effects of long working hours, psychosocial risk factors for occupational diseases, the impact of health on labor productivity, and aging worker issue. Prof. Kang is actively involved in research projects funded by various institutions, focusing on occupational health risks and their mitigation.
KANG, Mo-Yeol
The pursuit of health equity within Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) organizations is a transformative mission. This presentation explores reality and strategies to protect vulnerable workers in HPH organization. Addressing these requires a multifaceted approach grounded in organizational commitment, policy development, and proactive health promotion.
Vulnerable workers are defined within the HPH context, focusing on social determinants such as economic instability, limited access to preventive services, and socio-cultural barriers. Workplace hazards are often disproportionately shifted onto these workers. Lacking necessary measures and resources to mitigate risks, they find it difficult to avoid risks, making them more susceptible to health issues. For example, in some hospitals in South Korea, growing dissatisfaction and turnover among employees due to rotational night shift work led to the implementation of a policy selecting certain staff for fixed night shifts. When there are not enough volunteers, economic incentives are offered to low-income workers, and in some cases, first- or second-year employees are mandated to take on these shifts.
Advocating for policies that protect vulnerable workers is challenging. Embedding health equity into the organizational philosophy of HPH start with recognizing disparities. First and foremost, this process requires decisive action from leadership, and integrating equity-focused goals into strategic planning are essential. Effective protective strategies include establishing robust workplace health and safety protocols for physical, chemical, and biological hazards, ensuring equitable access to healthcare services including mental health support, creating supportive work environments that promote mental well-being and social support, and offering training programs to empower workers with knowledge of their rights and health-promoting practices. Ensuring digital health solutions are accessible to all workers includes providing devices and reliable internet, offering training to improve digital literacy, and developing user-friendly, culturally sensitive tools. The incorporation of digital health solutions can enhance the protection of vulnerable workers, but digital health equity must be addressed to ensure these benefits are accessible to all.
By implementing these protection strategies, addressing digital health equity, and mitigating shift work challenges, HPH organizations can foster a more equitable and inclusive healthcare environment, contributing to the broader goal of health equity for all.
Keeping up the momentum - Promoting health equity through culturally sensitive innovation and health literacy
Clalit Health Services (ISR)
Prof Diane Levin-Zamir is National Director of the Health Promotion Department of Clalit, Israel's largest non-profit healthcare organization, is Full Professor of Public Health at the University of Haifa, and teaches at Tel Aviv University Medical School's School of Public Health. She founded/supports the IUHPE Health Literacy Global Working Group, is the Scientific Co-Chair for the WHO-Europe Action Network for Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL), chairs the WHO European Health Literacy Technical Advisory Group for Behavioral and Cultural Insights, and chairs the Israel Health Ministry's National Health Promotion Council. Diane has published extensively articles, chapters, and co-edited books, specializing in Health Promotion action, research and policy, focusing on primary care, hospitals and media/digital settings, cultural appropriateness, population, organizational and digital health literacy. She serves as PI for the Israel National Health Literacy Survey, is scientific advisor for numerous international health literacy projects and is Associate Editor of the Global Health Promotion Journal.
Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) play a pivotal role in addressing health disparities and advancing population health outcomes. Achieving equity among HPHs is essential to ensuring that all patients, regardless of socioeconomic status, culture, or geographic location, have equal access to comprehensive healthcare services focusing on promoting well-being, early detection and disease treatment. Equity is mentioned in a number of the HPH Standards and Sub-standards and aligns with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) approach to health promotion, emphasizing the need for social justice in health systems. By fostering equity, HPH can better serve marginalized populations that often face barriers to healthcare access, such as immigrants/migrants, the elderly, and individuals living in low-income or rural areas.
Innovation is key to achieving and sustaining equity in HPH, allowing healthcare institutions - both hospitals and primary care - to develop novel solutions for overcoming barriers. Innovative approaches in healthcare delivery—such as the integration of digital health technologies, telemedicine, and data-driven decision-making—can ensure that vulnerable populations receive timely and appropriate care, even in resource-constrained environments. Digital health literacy needs to be taken into consideration; intervention programs can empower people to take control of their health by providing them with the tools and skills needed to manage their health effectively. Telehealth services can extend the reach of healthcare providers, enabling access to care in rural or underserved regions, reducing the need for hospital readmissions, and ultimately lowering healthcare costs, including in times of crisis.
Moreover, innovation in health promotion fosters the creation of more tailored, patient-centered interventions. Examples of innovative initiatives will be presented that leverage cutting-edge technologies, such as AI and predictive analytics, to identify at-risk populations and design programs that address health behavior, targeting health promotion efforts where they are most needed. The benefits and challenges will be explored including the role of health professionals in implementation.
In conclusion, achieving equity through the work of HPHs requires commitment and resources. By prioritizing equitable access to health-promoting services and incorporating innovative strategies, HPH can enhance public health, reduce disparities, and improve health outcomes for diverse populations, ensuring a healthier and more inclusive society.
Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University
Naoki Kondo, M.D., Ph.D. has been a Professor of the Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University, since September 2020. His primary research themes are social determinants of health. He is the vice chief investigator of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a cohort study following up more than 200,000 older adults nationwide in Japan. JAGES initiative has investigated the community and social environments that promote the preventive measures for non-communicable diseases and healthy and equitable longevity. His recent study focuses on how to address health inequality in community settings, conducting intervention studies with local and central governments, utilizing “community-diagnosis” data. Professor Kondo is a member of the Clinical Consortium on Health Ageing and a core member of the Global Network on Long-term Care, World Health Organization. He holds multiple roles as committee members and advisors for Parliamentary Groups and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan.
Health Directorate of the Regional Authority for Coordination of Health Trust - ARCS - in Friuli Venezia GiuliaHPH network of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region
Dr Cristina Aguzzoli, physician in charge of Health Promotion at the Health Directorate of the Regional Authority for Coordination of Health Trust - ARCS - in Friuli Venezia Giulia, coordinates the HPH network of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Italy) since 2003, which became the leader of the Italian HPH networks in 2022. She is a member of the HPH Governance Board and since May 2024, together with the coordinators of the Hungarian and South Korean networks, she launched the Task Forces Well-being of Healthcare workers.
As a specialist in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine with a Master in Psychoneuroimmunology at the La Sapienza University of Rome, at the moment she cooperates with Open Academy of Medicine in Venice and National Institute of Health in Rome. She promotes training courses dedicated to the Wellbeing and health promotion for patients, operators and citizens.
Since 2020, she leads "Taking care of those who care", a regional program born during the pandemic with the goal to recover the psycho-physical well-being of the staff.
For years, she focused the continuous comparison on the issues of individual and organizational empowerment as a teacher and consultant about HPH standards, biopsychosocial well-being, stress management and life skills.
Author of numerous scientific works, including the book "100 questions on stress management" (2018), she is among the editors and authors of the Report 21/4 "Wellbeing and stress management according to the Biopsychosocial model: focus on school, university and health ” published in 2021 and among the authors of the Report 24/1 “Caring for carers” published in 2024 of the National Institute of Health.