Prevention, Patient Empowerment, Digital Health

The 10th National Health Conference entitled ENG NEI GESONDHEETSSTRATEGIE FIR D'ZUKUNFT: 'PREVENTION - PATIENT EMPOWERMENT - DIGITAL HEALTH' was held on 9 May 2018 from 09:00 to 17:15 at the European Convention Center Luxembourg (ECCL).

Theme I - Prevention before cure.

The introduction of the concept of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) in the 1990s has profoundly transformed medical practice. Today, public health policies, and especially prevention, seem to be moving forward in the same direction. The use of evidence-based data to assess the efficacy of an intervention, or even its cost-benefit ratio, is now crucial. The purpose of this session is to present ongoing developments in this area, using obesity, diet and physical activity as examples.

Theme II - Chronic diseases: what role for patients?

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Luxembourg and throughout the world. To tackle this problem, patients and their families have an essential role to play. Owing to their experience and intimate knowledge of the effects of their diseases, patients have transformed health systems and have become key players in their own right. The experts that have been invited for this session will be presenting various aspects of patient involvement in combating chronic diseases.

Theme III - Innovation and Digital Health in the service of citizens: issues and challenges.

Internet, big data, connected devices and smartphone apps are all part of our everyday vocabulary in this digital age, but do we really know how they impact our lives? These developments are driving a transformation of the healthcare sector and the emergence of innovative techniques and procedures. This session presents some of the major issues and challenges in the area of digital health, and a number of concrete projects that are being undertaken in the service of patients and healthcare professionals.

Theme I - Prevention before cure

The introduction of the concept of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) in the 1990s has profoundly transformed medical practice. Today, public health policies, and especially prevention, seem to be moving forward in the same direction. The use of evidence-based data to assess the efficacy of an intervention, or even its cost-benefit ratio, is now crucial. The purpose of this session is to present ongoing developments in this area, using obesity, diet and physical activity as examples.

Opening speech. Lydia Mutsch, Minister of Health
Le rôle des données probantes en santé publique (Evidence-based public health policy: « les choses qu’on sait! »). Prof. Pierre Arwidson, Agence nationale de santé publique, Paris, (FR)
Obesity and the Economics of Prevention. Prof. Franco Sassi, Professor of International Health Policy and Economics, Imperial College London (ENG)
Regulatory measures and health prevention - does it work? Dr Jean Ellen Tesche, World Health Organisation, Geneva (ENG)
'Gesond iessen, méi beweegen (GIMB)' - une tendance qui se confirme. Anne Marx, Health Directorate (FR)

Morning round-table session:

Dr Simone Steil, Health Directorate
Dr Guillaume Steichen, Secretary General, AMMD
Dr Laetitia Huiart, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Population Health Dept.
Christian Kayser, Director, l'École du Goût, Parc Naturel de l'Our / 'arësto'

Theme II - Chronic diseases: what role for patients?

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Luxembourg and throughout the world. To tackle this problem, patients and their families have an essential role to play. Owing to their experience and intimate knowledge of the effects of their diseases, patients have transformed health systems and have become key players in their own right. The experts that have been invited for this session will be presenting various aspects of patient involvement in combating chronic diseases.

Gesundheitskompetenz und Empowerment stärken - die Patientenuniversität an der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover. Prof. Dr Marie-Luise Dierks, patientenuniversität.de (DE)
Maladies Rares : Comment se retrouver dans le système? Quel rôle pour les associations de patients? Dr Jos Even (FR)
Patient-reported outcome measures … ou la mesure des résultats déclarés par les patients. Dr Françoise Berthet, Health Directorate (FR)

Theme III - Innovation and Digital Health in the service of citizens: issues and challenges

Internet, big data, connected devices and smartphone apps are all part of our everyday vocabulary in this digital age, but do we really know how they impact our lives? These developments are driving a transformation of the healthcare sector and the emergence of innovative techniques and procedures. This session presents some of the major issues and challenges in the area of digital health, and a number of concrete projects that are being undertaken in the service of patients and healthcare professionals.

Digital Health: Challenges & Opportunities - Reinforcing knowledge-sharing at the heart of the digital health ecosystem. Peter Wyckoff, OECD (ENG)
Les objets connectés au service de la santé. Uwe Diegel, LifeInA SAS (DE)
Le programme de séquençage tumoral de l‘INC au service du patient atteint d‘un cancer. Application pratique de l‘intelligence artificielle à l‘oncologie. Dr Sigrid Cherrier-de Wilde, Société Luxembourgeoise d'Oncologie / Institut national du cancer, Luxembourg

Midday round-table session:

Dr Jean-Claude Schmit, Director of Health
Dr Guy Berchem, President, National Cancer Institute (INC)
Françoise Liners, Director, Health Technologies, Ministry of the Economy
Dani Jeitz, National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD)
Fabrice Glod, Luxembourgish Medical Students' Association (ALEM)