Don Berwick is a man that needs no introduction. His long list of achievements speaks volumes for his total commitment to humanity and his total focus on patient healthcare. Despite having a global perspective on healthcare, advising governments, think tanks and multinationals, Don still thinks about the individual patient, the patient who's put their care, their trust in the medical profession.

And that is apparent throughout this entire conversation. Because for Don, the future of healthcare is going to be so many things, including digital. But there’s going to be no future of healthcare if the profession doesn’t work now to address the issue of quality of care, in particular, improving the quality of healthcare. 

From national governments to professional commitment, it’s going to take serious leadership investment to bring about this change, but it’s imperative quality of healthcare is placed front and centre. 

In 2018, three separate reports, commissioned by three separate bodies all involved in the global health scene, revealed disturbing findings about the gaps in healthcare quality, globally. 

“These reports say we have to really work on what happens to people when they get into the system, and the gaps are enormous. The reports estimate 5 to 7 million lives a year are lost in low and middle income countries alone, due to these quality gaps.”

In this episode: 

• The stark gaps in global healthcare
• Why current health care quality is frustrating
• Why a lack of quality in healthcare needs to be a local issue
• The countries making patient safety a matter of policy
• Technologies and approaches that can improve future healthcare
• The 165,000 mobile apps that support healthcare
• Why healthcare is like a repair shop
• Is the healthcare of employees an employer’s responsibility?