#2  Transforming Healthcare: Patient-Centered Care | BHF Conference 2023 | Episode 2

Dr. Sipho Kabane, CEO and Registrar of Medical Schemes at the Council for Medical Schemes, delivered a presentation on the transformation towards patient-centered care at the BHF conference in 2023. He emphasized the importance of protecting member interests, which includes ensuring quality services, health outcomes, financial risk protection, good governance, value for money, and the prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse. Dr. Sipho Kabane highlighted opportunities for collaboration, such as amending the Medical Schemes Act and the ongoing review of the Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) to promote patient-centric care. He expressed the need for industry-led initiatives and urged schemes and administrators to implement recommendations. Dr. Sipho Kabane discussed the journey toward patient-centered care, including potential structural changes, legislative reviews, and industry collaboration. He acknowledged the complexity of the transition and emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders. Dr. Sipho Kabane also touched on access to healthcare, financial risk protection, and operational reforms in both the public and private sectors. He expressed satisfaction with the industry's solvency levels, resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and cooperation in providing additional benefits to members. However, he highlighted concerns regarding governance issues, disputes with members, challenges in implementing statutory managers, and the need for improved data collection on processes, outcomes, and impacts. Dr. Sipho Kabane suggested the development of a quality framework that focuses on inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes to guide decision-making and enable informed choices for members.