Health system readiness is the ability of a health system to promptly and sustainably adapt its policies, infrastructure and processes to support the integration of innovative approaches to care.
Healthcare is rapidly changing, so it is important that health systems are flexible and able to adapt effectively. Looking at one area of a health system in isolation is not sufficient; we must take a holistic approach to ensure that innovative diagnostics and treatments can be integrated into care in a timely manner, and that all people can access the services that could benefit them most.
To create a health system that is ready to adapt to change, we must take a rigorous approach that allows for evidence-based decision-making and proactive policy action.
Frameworks are tools that can be used to help understand and solve complex problems, allowing us to proactively prepare for the future of healthcare. A framework enables us to assess the operations of a health system in a standardised and objective way. It can also help to ensure that people are asking the right questions in regard to health system improvement.
Data generated by applying frameworks can also be used to identify gaps in the provision of care. As the same framework can be applied in different settings, it can also enable comparison and learning within and between countries.
The Health Policy Partnership (HPP) has developed the Readiness Assessment Framework to evaluate current integration of and readiness for innovative approaches to care across a health system. The framework covers five key domains: governance, regulation and reimbursement, identified need, service provision and health information. Before it is applied, the framework should be adapted to a particular care approach to ensure that the data generated are specific, relevant and useful.
The Readiness Assessment Framework can be used to assess health system readiness for a number of different components of care. We initially applied the framework to radioligand therapy, an innovative form of cancer treatment, to evaluate the extent to which the therapy is currently integrated within key areas of a health system and identify what is needed to better integrate it into cancer care.
Further applications of the framework are coming soon.
There are currently no long-term treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (#ALS). New treatments are needed to help support people with this condition, but are health systems ready for innovation in ALS care? Find out more: healthsystemreadiness.com/why…
For more information about this project, contact us at info@healthsystemreadiness.com.
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