Can you put a price on health? This is one of the questions asked in the highly topical and much discussed Norwegian documentary ‘The Health Factory’, which is to be shown in its entirety at Vitalis on 7 April.
Politicians want healthcare to be made more efficient and are calling for marketisation. But how do you put a price on health and what happens when a delivery with complications brings the hospital more money than a normal delivery? The documentary ‘The Health Factory’ shows the consequences using Norwegian healthcare as an example.
“The film was first shown in Sweden at the Göteborg International Film Festival. I saw it and decided immediately that we should show it at the fair,” says Eva Martinsson, exhibition manager for Vitalis.
The audience can see Norway’s former Minister of Health being impressed by Toyota’s car factories with their automated logistics before introducing and requiring that this method be applied in the same way in healthcare. A time-and-motion study man measures how long a nurse comforts an anxious patient.
“It’s a very important film that describes phenomena in Norwegian healthcare. And the problems are similar in Swedish healthcare,” says Eva Martinsson.
After the film a discussion is planned between medical sociologist Olaug Lian from the University of Tromsö in Norway, who also takes part in the film, and representatives of the Swedish Medical Association, the Swedish Association of Health Professionals and the county councils.
In addition, Vitalis is focusing again this year on a joint Nordic exchange of experience around eHälsa. A seminar on usability entitled ‘How do we get usable healthcare IT systems?’ is being held on Tuesday, 5 April.
The other seminar entitled ‘Management, development and follow-up – world-class Nordic eHälsa’ is being held on Wednesday, 6 April.
Vitalis takes place from 5-7 April. For further information visit: www.vitalis.nu.
