Sharing healthcare insights and experience at HA Convention
***********************************************************

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Over 90 distinguished Mainland, overseas and local speakers will share their knowledge and insights and interact on various health topics of interest with over 5,000 healthcare and academic professionals at the two-day annual Hospital Authority (HA) Convention 2015, held today and tomorrow (May 18 and 19).

     The HA Convention 2015 aims to promote the sharing of knowledge and experience on clinical advances and approaches to modern healthcare services. It will also facilitate the exploration and discussion of contemporary concepts among healthcare professionals and stakeholders.

     The HA Convention 2015 was officially opened this morning by the Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang; the Vice Minister of National Health and Family Planning Commission, Mr Ma Xiaowei; the Acting Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the HA Chairman, Professor John Leong; and the HA Chief Executive, Dr Leung Pak-yin.

     In his welcoming address, Professor Leong said that demand for public medical services had undergone dramatic changes and healthcare workers all over the world were being confronted with a series of new challenges posed by ageing population, rising incidence of chronic diseases, and the spread of highly communicable diseases.

     Professor Leong pointed out that Hong Kong has been battling to keep a succession of contagious diseases at bay and has demonstrated remarkable resilience and professionalism in tackling the unprecedented threat of an influenza pandemic. "We are fortunate to have escaped the recent Ebola outbreak without a single case, and to have had only three confirmed imported cases of Avian Flu during the past few months," he said.

     Expressing gratitude to all healthcare professionals working on the frontlines of patient care, he said, "They have demonstrated superb professionalism and profound dedication in safeguarding the health of our community.

     "The ageing population is also placing greater demands on healthcare services and this is particularly true in Hong Kong," said Professor Leong. He also added a note of thanks to the Hong Kong Government for its strong long-term support in funding and policy decisions in respect of public health care services.

     He also acknowledged the constructive role played by the Government in setting up the Steering Committee on Review of HA in 2013 to conduct an overall assessment of HA. "With the Steering Committee's report due to come out soon in mid-2015, we will establish a task force to study the report in detail and implement its recommendations with the aim of further enhancing our services and efficiency," he said.

     Delivering a keynote address on "Engagement and Empowerment: The Twin Engines Powering Future Healthcare in Hong Kong", Dr Leung Pak-yin said that making public healthcare a more participatory process through engagement and empowerment was essential to enhance Hong Kong's future healthcare.

     "Our decisions and actions do not and should not take place in a social vacuum. Effective engagement through a variety of channels allows better understanding of the needs, priorities and concerns of the diverse range of stakeholders, with the aim of upholding service excellence while enhancing outcomes for everyone affected by our operations."

     He pointed out that the HA had to use open dialogue to build a common vision of its goal and highlight the mutually beneficial role that stakeholders could play in shaping and achieving their objectives. "In demonstrating a willingness to address their concerns, we hope to build trust, improve the appropriateness of care and provide strong incentive to support our work.

     "Vision is of little consequence without action," Dr Leung said. He added that empowering stakeholders meant providing them with the tools and opportunities to help drive the HA towards the vision that has been collectively established.

     "For staff, empowerment includes skills training, greater involvement in planning exercises and regular consultation meetings. For patients, empowerment goes beyond public education initiatives, and must also include active efforts to achieve attitude and perception changes that will support enhanced self-care and disease management."

     Dr Leung pointed out that the HA has engaged 180 Patients Groups covering over 20 different diseases and more than 20,000 patients and their carers. "These groups establish mutual-help networks and peer-group support for individuals dealing with similar illnesses and health conditions," he said.

     "Also, we are reaching out as an educator through initiatives such as the Health InfoWorld and Smart Patient Website. The website is a one-stop online source of patient and disease-related information designed to facilitate greater patient empowerment."

     Stressing that the HA was eager to explore the further application of technology to engage more effectively with patients, Dr Leung said that the HA currently has more than 20 mobile applications in operation or under development for clinical, staff and public use. "For example, we have developed the mobile and tablet apps for clinical cameras and patient assessments to facilitate community-based nursing service, as well as the 'TouchMed' smartphone app to free our patients from extended pharmacy waits," he said.

     Dr Leung added the HA would further empower its colleagues because they are the "fuel" that powers its operations, as well as the public face of the organisation.

     He went on to say that staff members had to take greater ownership of their various roles in helping to transform existing structures and operations to meet future healthcare needs. "Participating in the processes of hospital accreditation and the Filmless HA Project are just a few examples of how we are working towards these goals. It could also establish the common quality framework, as well as promote a greater sense of belonging, and encourage our people to take pride in their work and their hospitals.

     "Relevant and regular training and procedural clarity could strengthen the confidence and capabilities of staff in carrying out their duties," said Dr Leung. He added that the Crew Resources Management Training Programme has provided 6,000 participants with role-specific, team-based training to support patient safety and high performance in service delivery.

     "The synergies of an empowered group of professionals who co-operate as part of a team that has common standards, values and goals will ensure that the whole is greater than the sum of its many impressive parts," he said.

     In his concluding remarks, Dr Leung said that with the unwavering commitment of the HA's colleagues as the "fuel" and the powerful engines of stakeholder engagement and empowerment, he was confident that the HA would power forward to further reinforce its foundation for achieving healthcare excellence, and scale new heights in its continuing mission to provide affordable high-quality medical services for the people of Hong Kong.

Ends/Monday, May 18, 2015
Issued at HKT 13:32

NNNN