This blog post is a cross post with Silverevolution. Silverevolution is an ACCESS Health blog devoted entirely to innovations and issues related to care of the elderly and chronically ill. Click here to visit the Silverevolution blog.
The ACCESS Health team in Singapore attended a roundtable discussion recently at ESSEC Business School Asia Pacific. The roundtable discussion focused on harnessing innovation for unmet needs in Asian healthcare. The distinguished panel included Arnaud Vaissié, cofounder, chairman, and chief executive officer of International SOS; Professor Tan Sze Wee, deputy executive director of the Biomedical Research Council of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR); Dr. Elena Rizova, vice president of external innovation at Johnson & Johnson; and Dr. Jeremy Lim, partner and head of Health and Life Sciences at Oliver Wyman.
We were fortunate to be invited to this roundtable. ESSEC Business School Asia Pacific is an education partner of ACCESS Health International on the Modern Aging Singapore program. Educators from ESSEC will provide business development curricula to help the top twenty teams from Modern Aging develop viable business plans. This roundtable was also an opportunity to enjoy the newly opened campus of ESSEC Business School.
The roundtable discussion focused on an important and timely issue. Despite advances in medical technology and access to healthcare around the world, many countries in Asia still face unmet needs. Many of the speakers touched on the disparities in healthcare systems and policies between Asia and the West. Given these disparities, healthcare innovations are especially helpful in Asia.
I found two of the points raised during the roundtable discussion to be particularly interesting. The first point relates to the trend in expanding universal healthcare and innovation in Asia. According to Mr. Vaissié, healthcare manpower and expenditure in Asia is only a fraction of that of other countries represented in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Despite this disadvantage, healthcare markets in Asia are expanding efforts to provide universal healthcare and to nurture innovations in health. These efforts align with the important work that we are doing to promote a Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage across multiple countries. Increased access to good quality healthcare would increase the health and economic participation of disadvantaged populations. Policymakers can also save time and effort by consulting their counterparts from other countries.
The second key point was raised by Dr. Rizova. She said that healthcare innovation depends on “creating strong networks of people who can combine resources, ideas, and technologies.” Doctors, patients, caregivers, statisticians, and engineers from various sides of the healthcare ecosystem all hold crucial perspectives on how to improve care. This diverse community for shared learning and innovation, tailored for aging, is exactly what the Modern Aging program aims to create. We have heard from entrepreneur friends how difficult it is to access and consult healthcare practitioners working on the ground. Through initiatives like Modern Aging, like minded individuals from different fields can gather and spark fresh ideas and solutions to support an aging population.
We at ACCESS Health enjoy highlighting lessons we learn from different conversations or forums. In our work, we are fortunate to meet many practitioners, researchers, and advocates for better healthcare. As an interesting aside, Dr. Jeremy Lim will give a talk on businesses in healthcare and aging as part of the Modern Aging Singapore program. His vast expertise will provide important insight for the many aspiring entrepreneurs enrolled in Modern Aging Singapore.
What are some learning points you have gained recently from your discussions with others? Please share them with us in the comments section.