Welcome to the 6th NOVO symposium with the theme

Sustainable Health Care:
Continuous Improvements of Processes and Systems

Date: 15-16 November 2012
Place: Karolinska Institutet, Berzelius väg 3, Stockholm

Keynote speakers
Professor Richard Cook, School of Technology and Health, KTH – Royal Institute of Technology
Professor Mats Brommels, Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet

NOVO Symposium
The vision is a “Nordic Model for sustainable systemsin the health care sector”. The specific niche of the NOVO Symposium is founded on the Nordic Model and along that line on research that directly or indirectly relates to intervention research that considers both competitive performance and working conditions in a long term perspective. However, the research does not need to be intervention research. It may be methodological, theoretical or descriptive, as long as it can be legitimized in relation to our vision.

The focus this year is on continuous improvements of processes and systems in health care during a period when health care service in the Nordic countries need to invest in improvements, but at the same time cut costs. While the health care systems must become more efficient this cannot be at the expense of the physical and psychosocial work environment of the health care professionals, the patent safety or quality of care. Improvements ideally should take all these aspects into account. The focus includes studies of design, implementation and effects of tools for continuous improvements, processes of work and patient flow as well as managerial systems for improvements. The work of managers and employees and their sustainable work environment are also focused.

We welcome researchers from a wide range of disciplines to submit abstracts that integrate work environment, quality of care/patient safety, and efficiency.   

Tracks  
Tools for continuous improvements
Sustainable processes
Sustainable systems
Sustainable management and leadership  

Instructions regading abstracts  
The abstracts should be in English and contain a maximum of 350 words apart from title, authors and affiliations, and should contain:

1. Title, names of authors, name of presenting author bolded, affiliations of authors with indications in the same order.
2. Introduction, Material and methods, Results, Conclusions.
3. Tables or figures are not accepted.
4. The title should not have abbreviations and in the text they should be spelled out and explained the first time they are used.  

Presenters are asked to indicate whether they prefer an oral- or a poster presentation, however, the scientific committee attains the right to decide. Please submit the abstract as a Word (or rtf) file, electronically to info-mmc@lime.ki.se with "Abstract NOVO" in the subject line no later than August 10. The scientific committee retains the right to decline submitted abstracts if they do not fulfill the above criteria, or general scientific standards. Further information concerning presentations will be provided upon acceptance (September 20).

Place 
NOVO 2012 will be held in Stockholm, Sweden at Karolinska Institute located in a walking distance from S:t Eriksplan (tube-station and airport bus).  

Program (time)
Day 1: Registration 9.00- 10.00, Conference sessions 10.00–17.00, dinner 19.00. Day 2: 8.30–16.00.    

Social
The social part of the symposium includes dinner on Thursday evening at 19.00. Also, a cultural and social boat trip in the city of Stockholm will be taken during lunch on Friday. Please state if you have any food preferences at registering.  

Hotel
We have reserved rooms (until October 1) at the nice hotel Best Western Time Hotel (approximately 15 minutes walking distance from Karolinska Institutet), also close to transportation and the city center. State "NOVO" as reference to receive the prize of 1 400 SEK (phone: +46 8 54 54 73 00). There are also other hotels in the same area. One alternative is hotel Connect City (also located in a 15 minutes walking distance from Karolinska Institutet with prices between 595-1200 SEK).  

Conference Fee
3 000 SEK which includes coffee, lunches, dinner and social program.
Swedish participants: Bankgiro Danske Bank 5310-6720. Deltagare från svensk statlig myndighet är momsbefriade och betalar därför 2 400 SEK. Märk inbetalningen med NOVO + namn.
Non-Swedish participants: IBAN SE94 5000 0000 0543 9102 4012, SWIFT: ESSESESS. Bank: SEB, SE-106 40, Stockholm. Please include NOVO + name in the payment.  

Registration and further information  
Register at www.ki.se/mmc →NOVO Symposium no later than September 30.  

More information about the symposium
http://www.novo-network.dk/ & info-mmc@lime.ki.se

Important dates  
Abstract submission, deadline: August 10
Decision of abstract acceptance: September 20
Deadline for registration: September 30
Hotel reservation: October 1
Symposium: November 15-16  

The local committee 
David Bergman, KI LIME/MMC
Lotta Dellve, KTC Ergonomics
Emma Granström, KI LIME/MMC
Henna Hasson, KI LIME/MMC
Pernilla Lindskog, KTH Patient Safety
Sanny Shamoun, KTH Patient Safety
Ulrica von Thiele, KI LIME/MMC/SU Psychology 

Wee look forward to seeing you in Stockholm!