The WHO Symposium April 28-30 205 in Copenhagen dived into future models and plans – from EHFF Daniel Steenstra, Lars Münter, and Nina Sønderberg participated.
Read more about the event, programme and outcome statement here at the WHO Europe website
Read short briefing from Daniel Steenstra about the event below.
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Setting the scene
At the WHO Symposium on “Modelling and Optimizing the Health and Care Workforce” held April 28-30 in Copenhagen, EHFF’s Daniel Steenstra presented “Beyond Hierarchies: EHFF’s Framework for Democratic, Sustainable Healthcare Through DAO Integration” during the high-profile Plenary IV panel on “Leadership and Systemic Change.”
The scene was set by the opening speech by Hans Kluge, the Regional Director. By recorded message he stressed the urgent need for radical transformation of healthcare systems, and he urged the audience to explore that to support WHO’s role in advising policymakers. Other members of the WHO Europe team consistently reinforced that message throughout the 3 days.
Keynote speaker, Brian Castellani, added salient points e.g.: “The disruptive power of science has diminished over the past 60 years, therefore failing to address the issues faced in healthcare workforces. The field has become ‘trapped in methodological silos, repeating familiar questions and reinforcing the very problems it aims to resolve.’ The healthcare workforce is a paradigmatic case of failure to disrupt the challenges it faces.” Castellani explained more about complexity and then called for a rethink:
“From Forecast to Foresight: Traditional demand models extrapolate from the past. Complexity demands the simulation of alternative scenario-based futures, co-produced with frontline workers and patients. Models must not only describe systems but become part of them.“
EHFF DAO
Speaking to an international audience of thought leaders, policy experts, and practitioners, Daniel challenged conventional workforce planning approaches, arguing that traditional models are like “planning to paint the deckchairs on the Titanic.”
He presented EHFF’s Three Horizons Framework vision for transforming European health systems through Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) that democratize decision-making, empower communities as co-creators, and align incentives through contribution-based rewards. His compelling presentation emphasized moving “from prediction to participation” in workforce development, positioning EHFF as a pioneering transformational catalyst using blockchain technology and design thinking to reshape healthcare governance from the bottom up.
The event had many good experts participating – I look forward to reconnect with many of them as there is plenty of work still to do.
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