Doha, Qatar, 18 January 2016: The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), announced that a ‘Behavioral Insights’ Forum will be held during its 2016 conference on the 29th and 30th November in Doha, Qatar.
The Behavioral Insights Forum will present groundbreaking, evidence-based research showing how citizen’s health can be maintained and improved through better understanding and application of the latest evidence on the factors which influence behavior, led by a UK government-owned social purpose company, The Behavioral Insights Team.
David Halpern, Chief Executive of The Behavioral Insights Team and Board Director, who will chair the Forum said: “Behavioral factors – such as around diet, smoking, and accidents – now account for the majority of healthy years of life lost. Within medical practice, behavioral factors also loom large in the transmission of infectious disease, medical adherence, and clinical errors. Yet these behavioral factors have received comparatively little attention, and the behavioral models within the medical community remain surprisingly undeveloped.”
“This Forum and report will draw out the practical implications in recent advances in behavioral science for medical commissioners and practitioners for prevention, treatment and wellbeing,” added Halpern.
Using a broad definition of health, the report will cover three main areas: quality of life and wellbeing, public health and delivery of healthcare. It will further demonstrate how behavioral insights can be applied at the macro level of high-level policies and system design, as well as at the micro-level of experimentation, in order to achieve incremental improvements for the benefit of societies.
Commenting on the announcement, WISH’s CEO Egbert Schillings said: “As with previous summits, WISH seeks to present pioneering and comprehensive scientific research that provides answers to some of the toughest questions facing the healthcare sector today. The Behavioral Insights Forum will no doubt be an important component in the body of research that will be presented at the 2016 conference.”
The Forum’s report will also present a shortlist of the interventions that have the most potential, while stressing the importance of continually testing new ideas and adapting to the results they generate.
WISH is a meeting point for thousands of high-level policymakers, academics, and professionals. It has also evolved into a key platform for the dissemination of healthcare innovation and best practices. It is closely aligned with QF’s mission to reinforce Qatar’s pioneering role as an emerging centre for healthcare innovation and unlocking human potential.
The WISH 2016 Summit will feature seven ground-breaking Research Forums that highlight and address some of the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges. In addition to Behavioral Insights, the Forums will generate interdisciplinary, evidence-based reports on topics including Healthy Populations, Precision Medicine, Economic Benefits of Investing in Health, Cardiovascular Disease, Accountable Care and Autism. Internationally-renowned experts will chair the Forums. For the first time, WISH will also report on its ongoing impact locally and globally on issues previously highlighted at the Summit, such as Diabetes, and Patient Safety.
The Summit will also feature innovation showcases from around the world that are shaping the design, delivery, and financing of care, as well as a cohort of young innovators; emerging healthcare leaders under the age of 30, whose contributions to global health deserve wider recognition.
For further information about WISH, please visit www.wish-qatar.org and Twitter @WISHQatar.
For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, visit www.qf.org.qa
Report will examine advantages of applying Behavioral Insights in healthcare and offer concrete policy recommendations
