In keeping with the overall theme: Leading Change in Strengthening Our Healthcare Ecosystem, we continue to engage the health sector on transformational strategies and innovative approaches to strengthen the healthcare system. An active response is required to re-design the healthcare landscape, we must adapt, accelerate and align by leading the change and promoting access to quality care for the health citizen. Healthcare is everyone’s business.

We would like to invite you to submit your abstracts, based on the topics outlined below. 

The closing date for submissions is: 22 April 2022

Leadership and governance

• Reform is necessary – is speed a factor or a barrier?
• Developing an industry code/charter
• The importance of Leadership and Governance – leading change

Health service delivery

• The market has been ready for multidisciplinary teams but our Regulators are not yet there?
• A system that enables care co-ordination (improving healthcare status, managing healthcare costs, improving quality of care delivery)
• Desperate need for standardisation of alternative reimbursement models – adaptive and accelerative models
• Accountability for quality of care including health outcomes
• Redesigning the systems to shift care into the community and digital platforms

Health workforce

• Do we have consensus on who a primary care practitioner is?
• Meeting the needs of an informed and engaged patient, invested in their own health needs
• How can we help build capacity for our regulators?

Information systems

• 4IR and health access

Financing

• Infrastructure – input towards a future healthcare system
• The financial protection of UHC – a global context
• Employed but uninsured population – situational analysis in the context of healthcare reform
• Policy/purchaser/provider split (role of government)
• How will schemes participate in the primary care product space?
• Future financing of health should it be insurance or medical schemes?
• Revisiting risk based capital and investment schedule for health funder

Important information to note regarding the final paper.

• All details regarding your peer reviewer will be sent to you in due course.
• The first submission should be no later than the 22 April 2022.
• The final paper should be pitched at a level which is accessible to an audience which is not very technical yet at the same time be based on strong scientific evidence.
• Please note that the journal has to be published by the 30 June 2022 as such your final draft should be submitted by the 23 June 2022.

Guidelines

Further details and guidelines for the paper are as follows:

• Papers must be submitted in Word format (only).
• Executive summary (200-250 words)
• Make 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides.
• Use Arial font, size 12.
• 1.5 spacing throughout the entire paper.
• Referencing to be excluded from word count.
• Tables, graphs, appendices can be submitted.
• Minimum 2000 words.
• Maximum 2500 words. This includes executive summary.
• Submit the first draft to the peer reviewer on or before 22 April 2022

Presentation

• The BHF will be have their annual conference from 18 May to 22 May 2022.
• Authors will be required to do presentations of their papers at the conference. 
• The author will be required to submit the presentation by 10 May 2022.
• The paper should be near completion before conference in order for the presentation to  provide thorough details of the paper

Referencing:

The authors should use a Harvard referencing style throughout the paper. Kindly see the link below for assistance in Harvard referencing: http://www.citethisforme.com/harvard-referencing

Authors are advised to download Mendeley or Zotero for assistance in managing their references.

Best Paper Titanium Awards.

Please also note that as part of this process, all papers will be nominated for ‘best paper Titanium Awards’, please take note of the criteria stated below:

• Is the paper relevant?
• Does it address the intended topic?
• Does this paper add new knowledge?
• Are key concepts introduced and explained clearly?
• Are methods and assumptions explained clearly?
• Are there clear conclusions and recommendations?
• Is the paper well-written and well-structured?
• Does the paper have enough substance?
• Consistency in referencing
• Is the technical approach sound and well-chosen?
• Can one trust the claims of the paper — are they supported by proper background and evaluation (with the target users, when appropriate)?
• Title: Is the paper appropriate for its title?
• Problems addressed: Does it describe what the author hoped to achieve accurately, and clearly state the problem being investigated?
• Executive Summary: Does the executive summary provide sufficient detail on the paper?
• Introduction: Is the introduction appropriate? (The introduction should summarize relevant research to provide context, and explain what other authors’ findings are, if any)
• Background: Does the paper present relevant work?
• Alternative views/perspectives: Does it provide one or more perspectives against which to contrast this paper?
• Major difficulties / shortcomings: Does it describe the limitations and major obstacles found during the process?
• Open research avenues: Does it explain the future perspectives that the work opens?

For any questions, kindly contact Lesley Mogano on lesleym@bhfglobal.com or 011 537 0271