Equity in Health, Technological Access, and Accreditation: In Conversation With Pedro Delgado, VP of IHI
In Conversation With Pedro Delgado, VP of IHI about Equity in Health, Technological Access, and Accreditation in LATAM
In an exclusive interview with MEG, Pedro Delgado, Vice President of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), delved into equity and humanisation in healthcare in Latin America. The conversation shed light on the myriad challenges and promising opportunities the region faces in its pursuit of a more equitable and human-centric healthcare system.
Check the full video interview here
Global Mission and Equity
While discussing his leadership role at IHI, Pedro Delgado articulated the organisation's overarching mission to enhance health and healthcare services on a global scale. Emphasising the intrinsic value of equitable healthcare for all, irrespective of financial capacity, Delgado underscored equity as a foundational pillar in their approach.
He succinctly summarised their mission, stating,
"Our mission is to improve health and healthcare services worldwide, including all populations. This refers not only to those who can pay but to the entire population, linking our work with equity."
Humanisation in Latin America
Addressing the concept of humanisation in Latin America, Delgado expressed enthusiasm for the autochthonous term used in the region. However, he raised a point about the need to remember humanisation in healthcare delivery, highlighting the significance of persistently advancing towards a more profound humanisation of health throughout the region.
"It is being used in very nice ways in Latin America, and I believe there is still much to be done to continue progressing on this path towards the deep humanisation of health in Latin America."
Challenges in Health Humanisation
When asked about the challenges in humanising healthcare, Delgado pointed to obstacles entrenched in the educational and hierarchical framework. He emphasised the need to overcome the pursuit of absolute solutions and a rigid hierarchical mentality, advocating for a departure from a culture of complaints. Delgado urged a shift towards a proactive stance, encouraging individuals to embrace their capacity for change. He identified these challenges and systemic imperfections as contributors to a pressurised healthcare environment.
"The major challenges we have as a health sector in the pursuit of humanisation are related to our understanding of what it means to educate and feel, and our approach to hierarchies."
"...to be protagonists of what is possible and not protagonists of complaints because those are options in leadership, one is to complain about everything that doesn't work, and the other is to understand that there are things that don't work, but we as individuals have the possibility to change some."
Measuring Inequality
Delgado addressed the importance of measuring equity in healthcare from three perspectives: organisational, clinical, and population health. He highlighted the importance of factoring in civility and effective human resource management within organisations, and accessibility, patient experiences, and clinical outcomes in the clinical domain.
"It is important to understand equity from civility, human resource management, access, experience, and clinical outcomes, as well as in population health, both for employees and surrounding communities."
"The journey towards equity requires us to listen more and listen better; if not, the likelihood of success will be much lower."
Technological Solutions and Impact
Regarding the use of technological solutions, Delgado acknowledged the possibilities technology offers to close equity gaps, especially in terms of access and listening. He illustrated two cases in Latin America, highlighting the use of telemedicine at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in the Amazon and the successful implementation of virtual mental health services by the Fundación Santa Fe in Bogotá, Colombia.
"Technology is the tool that opens up many possibilities to close equity gaps, especially in access and listening."
Accreditation Awareness
Delgado emphasised the importance of accreditation within the quality paradigm in healthcare. He identified barriers in terms of accreditation system limitations and costs while highlighting the importance of transparency and feedback in improving care quality.
"Accreditation is part of quality assurance, but it is essential to address transparency and dare to receive feedback to improve."
"...with assurance also comes what is quality control, having standards under which we operate, so that we can provide an adequate service."
-Pedro Delgado, VP of IHI
In summary, this interview with Pedro Delgado provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities in the pursuit of more equitable and humanised healthcare in Latin America, highlighting the importance of technology, equity measurement, and quality awareness through accreditation.