The EHMA 2023 Annual Conference took place on 5-7 June 2023 in Rome, Italy. Under the theme ‘Health management: sustainable solutions for complex systems’, the conference explored innovative solutions to some of the most complex and pressing challenges in managing and leading healthcare systems and services to catalyse progress toward more sustainable and resilient health systems. The conference was co-hosted by our member ALTEMS, Advanced School of Health Economics and Management, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
Over three days, EHMA 2023 featured 3 plenaries sessions, 4 focus sessions, 5 workshops, 6 pre-conference sessions, 20 oral abstract sessions, 5 scientific dialogues and 50 posters, providing a platform for researchers, practitioners and experts to discuss best practices for improving the management of health systems, organisations, and service delivery.
During the closing ceremony on Wednesday, 7 June, winners were announced for the 21st edition of the Karolinska Institutet Medical Management Centre (MMC) and EHMA Research Award, and EHMA Awards for the Best European Paper, Best Non-European Paper, and Best Poster.
Dr Sarah van Duijn (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands) was presented with the Karolinska Medical Management Centre and EHMA Research Award for her PhD research on Tinkering with tensions: boundary work and collaborative governance. Along with her, Mr Buddhika Samaraisinghe (University of Birmingham, United Kingdom) also received the award for his PhD research on Developing transferable theories to understand the interplay between standardisation and individualisation of care: a realist evaluation and synthesis of on-the-day surgery cancellations.
Dr van Duijn and Mr Samaraisinghe were among five shortlisted researchers who presented their doctoral theses in front of a wide academic audience, including representatives of leading European universities and research centres, members of the EHMA Board of Directors and the Scientific Advisory Committee.
Dr Padraic Fleming (Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland) received the EHMA Award for the Best European Paper for his abstract on A realist review of the international literature demonstrating how governance and decision-making during 2008 financial crisis impacted health workforce resilience for COVID-19 and future health systems shocks.
Dr Gillie Gabay (Achva Academic College, Israel) was presented with the EHMA Award for the Best Non-European Paper for her abstract on Personalised digitally driven communication with patients at the emergency department.
Olena Chernenko, MD (MEDCAPITALGROUP; Ukrainian Medical Alliance Charity Fund, Ukraine) received the EHMA Award for the Best Poster for her research on Healthcare in Ukraine during the war: challenges, lessons & conclusions for re-thinking of medical systems.
Ms Marzia Di Marcantonio (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy) received the People’s Choice Award for Best Poster for her research on A systematic review of evidence on the gap in leadership studies in healthcare.
You can read all the awarded papers in the EHMA 2023 Abstract Book.