Asia Association of Medical and Care Facilities[Workshops and Symposia]

Workshops and Symposia

A Report on the 2013 International Symposium on Healthcare for the Elderly

The 2013 International Symposium on Healthcare for the Elderly, run by the Korean Association of Medical Care and Facilities, was held on Thursday, June 27, Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29, 2013 in Pusan, Korea.

The theme of the symposium was “Re-designing healthcare for the elderly, beyond the new normal”, and there were a total of 15 sessions, with approximately 70 speakers. A total of 600 people from 6 countries attended. The theme of “New normal” was intended to suggest the state in which we find ourselves today, with the world at large challenged by unavoidable issues such as low growth and consumption, high unemployment rates, high risk levels, tightening of regulations, a shrinking of the role played by the US economy, and other global economic crises and structural changes. In the healthcare field as well, with average life expectancies increasing, the “new normal” is defined by an abrupt decline in birthrates and a concurrent acceleration of aging in society.

This year’s symposium drew strong interest in Korea as a result of heavy coverage on television by the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, in newspapers and in other media, underscoring the value of the symposium as a springboard for further advancement in healthcare for the elderly in Asia. The final day included a tour of hospital facilities, which was attended by a large number of people. In the future, we will continue to focus on the development of healthcare for the elderly in Asia, through presentations on research and development by those working in the field, and other efforts.

【An Overview of the Symposium】

Keynote Presentation	Innovation in healthcare IT and health management in the US
Symposia	Re-designing healthcare for the elderly, beyond the new normal The current state and future outlook in medical care for the elderly worldwide Panel discussion on geriatric healthcare policies in Japan and Korea A study on medical welfare systems for the elderly in Sweden Korea’s and Japan’s experiences of medical facility evaluation and certification The outlook and issues in geriatric healthcare in Japan and Korea A comparison of rehabilitation and medical care trends in Japan and Korea Strengthening and strategies for innovation and profitability in hospital management A comparison of geriatric medical care conveyance systems in Japan and Korea A comparison of geriatric nursing trends in Japan and Korea Utilization of medical instruments and rehabilitation/care tools, and a briefing Silver Industry Partnership forum Special lecture on specialization strategies for medical facilities Training and education of nurses in convalescent hospitals
Industry tour	Site visit to a convalescent hospital