Editorial

 

Dear conference participants and readers of Clinical HP,

 

The international HPH conference 2014 is the first such event on the Iberian Peninsula. The HPH network in Catalonia that hosts the conference was only founded in 2008 but has quickly developed into a HPH stronghold in South-Western Europe. It has recently focused on innovative and timely topics such as health literacy or workplace health promotion. Upon the proposal of the local hosts, the Scientific Committee decided to dedicate this conference to “Changing hospital & health service culture to better promote health”. By focusing on this general theme, the conference program acknowledges the need for organizationwide reform and development to support a more health promoting culture in health care, following the demand of WHO’s Ottawa Charter for a re-orientation of healthcare services, and concepts of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH). The conference will also address the feasibility of cultural change in healthcare in times of economic crisis. Under this general heading, 3 specific sub-topics address innovative approaches for hospitals to better contribute to the health of their patients, staff, and community.