EHMA 2021’s theme, ‘Health Management: managing the present and shaping the future’, is placing an emphasis on the need for health systems to ensure that while they are managing the current health emergencies, needs, and challenges, they are also preparing and shaping their future.  

The theme builds on the conversations that took place during the EHMA 2020 conference, during which the impact of current actions on the future of health care was highlighted. In fact, during one of these conversations, speakers mentioned that there has been an emergence of new ways of healthcare that could be pre-sensing the possibilities for future healthcare, and this would mean that health systems are already learning for the future in the present. 

This is why #EHMA2021 will focus on both highlighting how health management is at the centre of providing solutions to current difficulties, but also discussing innovative practices and ideas on how health managers are participating in increasing the resilience and readiness of health systems to face future challenges. 

In the past two years, the EHMA Annual conferences addressed different aspects of the same subthemes: Digital Transformation, Systems & Organisational Governance, Integration, Personalisation, Sustainability, and Value-Based Healthcare. In 2020, COVID-19 was added as a transversal topic that was discussed in all the sessions.  

Some of this year’s subthemes are directly connected to the past two EHMA Conferences, namely Governance and leadership, Person-centeredness and care integration, Managing the digital transformation, and Environmental sustainability of health services. In addition, EHMA 2021’s key topics also include Improving healthcare access and outcomes and the health workforce. 

These key topics were chosen following an extensive consultation process with the EHMA Scientific Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors to ensure that the conference addresses the latest developments on some of the most difficult problems in leading and managing the health services of tomorrow. 

Visit the #EHMA2021 website to read more about this year’s themes and subthemes and consult the EHMA 2020 Conference report to see the take-home messages from last year’s conference.