Challenges of Dutch Caribbean healthcare - Case study

To improve the quality of care and the safety of patients, healthcare is constantly being reviewed and researched. New concepts are being invented and discussed continuously.

In the beginning of June, The Patient Safety Company (TPSC) was present at the Healthcare Conference HCCA in Aruba to understand the current situation in the healthcare sector of the Dutch Caribbean Islands*. By engaging with customers, partners and other healthcare professionals one thing became very clear: “All is not well in Paradise”.

This blog describes the challenges the Dutch Caribbean healthcare facilities are facing.

Challenges in healthcare

The key topics during the conference was Integrated Healthcare, Big Data, Improved collaboration and communication between healthcare professionals, but also between the islands. The islands have over time grown apart acting as a single unite focusing on their own challenges. However, the people on the islands now see the need to start collaborating as a group and learn from each other and share technologies and success stories.

The islands mostly consist of smaller organizations with limited resources in comparison to many healthcare organizations in the Netherlands or any other advanced country for that matter. But somehow all hospitals, elderly care, ambulance services etc. need to find the way to secure the best possible care for their patients despite the many challenges ahead.

During the conference, the following 5 gaps and needs for changes in the Dutch Caribbean healthcare System were discussed:

Title: Caribbean health systems: the five (5) gaps & need for changes
From: CARIBBEAN PERSPECTIVES ON THE NEED FOR CHANGE - STANLEY LALTA

Eldery care

Another example of an evident challenge in Aruba within elderly care is the fact that there are not enough nursing homes to provide the elderly with proper care so the government and healthcare sector is trying to find a solution to keep the elderly at home if possible and then provide homecare services instead. This way the lack of beds and rooms at the nursing homes can be temporarily solved. But how do they provide the same quality of care for the people in their homes as they are doing in the nursing homes?

Lack of data related to quality and safety

Finally, the lack of data to make informed business decisions is a huge challenge. Aruba is one of the few places where it is extremely difficult to find any healthcare statics on the internet. There are not enough systems in place to gather the necessary data and making the necessary trend analysis to understand why thing are as they are and how to improve moving forward.

Creating a healthcare paradise

Fundashon Mariadal from Bonaire, on the other hand, is very advanced in the process of collecting data and making trend analysis. Their focus on automating all kinds of healthcare and business process resulted in a unique quality management system. Healthcare organizations from other islands are engaging with Fundashon Mariadal to learn from their experience.

Do you also want to know more about Fundashon Mariadal and their unique approach towards quality and safety management? Download our eBook 'A unique quality management system' and get the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of their quality management system.