People around the world are keenly focused on healthcare as we face the impact and implications of the coronavirus. From patient care to scientific research to the broader impact on the economy, this is a test of health systems and emergency preparedness. At the same time, in the U.S. we’re watching the 2020 elections unfold and wondering what the results will mean for patients, medical professionals, hospitals, and health systems. Throughout these turbulent times, access to quality care for all patients remains essential.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has studied the financing and elements of healthcare systems from more than 30 countries. In a 2019 study, the OECD found that the United States spends more on healthcare than any other OECD country, both as a proportion of GDP (16.9%) and per person (US $10,586). Unfortunately, these high levels of spending have not resulted in increased life expectancy. In fact, U.S. life
expectancy at birth is two years below the OECD average, and actually declined by over two months between 2012 and 2017. “Hospitals in the United States provide high-quality
care on average, reflected for example by relatively few deaths after heart attacks and stroke, and high cancer survival, in particular for breast cancer (90% five-year net survival),” according to the report. At the same time, the report also states that there remain inequities in access to healthcare services in the U.S.
In order to address the current and future challenges in access, delivery, and financing of our healthcare system, innovation and the sharing of knowledge is more vital than ever.
Education, learning, training, and sharing knowledge is a 12-month necessity for everyone involved in delivering healthcare, or insuring doctors, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, and all medical
clinicians and institutions. Throughout each year, the MPL Association’s programs—both in person and online—bring together professionals from around the world to address the industry’s major challenges.
MPL Association members are adapting to external as well as internal change within their organizations to deliver critical services to those they insure or indemnify. There are times when
we in the MPL community can gather in person to share knowledge. But there are other times when we will need to use technological and communication tools to keep one another informed of advances and concerns.
As the needs of the MPL community—like the broader healthcare community—evolve rapidly
to respond to the world around us, new tools and creative approaches must be reflected in the operations of every MPL company. Knowledge and competencies are not static. Learning and professional growth are the driving forces behind the Association’s committees and sections that
develop the content of our workshops, webinars, online programs, and conferences. The MPL Association community is very fortunate to have some of the best and brightest minds in medicine and business among our members. It is an extraordinary community that recognizes that what they have in common is greater than what differentiates them—the shared beliefs in the importance of the delivery of quality medicine and a fair legal system that treats doctors and all healthcare providers fairly.