WISH announces behavioural insights forum and report for 2016 conference

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), announced that a 'Behavioural Insights' Forum will be held during its 2016 conference on the 29^th and 30^th November in Doha, Qatar.

The Behavioural 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 behaviour, led by a UK government-owned social purpose company, The Behavioural Insights Team.

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 behavioural 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.

WISH, an initiative of QF, is closely aligned with the mission of reinforcing Qatar's pioneering role as an emerging centre for healthcare innovation while also unlocking human potential. In addition, WISH serves as a key platform for the dissemination of healthcare innovation and best practices, and brings together thousands of high-level policymakers, academics, and professionals.

David Halpern, Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team and Board Director, and chair of the forum said, "Behavioural factors - such as around diet, smoking, and accidents - now account for the majority of healthy years of life lost. Within medical practice, behavioural factors also loom large in the transmission of infectious disease, medical adherence, and clinical errors. Yet these behavioural factors have received comparatively little attention, and the behavioural models within the medical community remain surprisingly undeveloped."

 "This forum and report will draw out the practical implications in recent advances in behavioural science for medical commissioners and practitioners for prevention, treatment and well-being," added Halpern.

The 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.

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 Behavioural Insights Forum will no doubt be an important component in the body of research that will be presented at the 2016 conference."

The WISH 2016 Summit will feature six groundbreaking research forums that highlight and address some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges. In addition to Behavioural Insights, the forums will generate interdisciplinary, evidence-based reports on topics including Autism, Cardiovascular Disease, Healthy Populations, the Economic Benefits of Investing in Health, and Precision Medicine. 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, Accountable Care, and Patient Safety.

Along with new health policy research forums, the summit will also feature innovation showcases from around the world that shape the design, delivery, and financing of care, as well as a cohort of young innovators; emerging health care leaders under the age of 30, whose contributions to global health deserve wider recognition.

The second WISH Summit was held in February 2015, bringing together more than 1,200 delegates from 93 countries to discuss and debate practical, lasting, and innovative solutions to global healthcare challenges.

For further information about WISH, please visit www.wish-qatar.org and Twitter @WISHQatar