November 14th, 2015 marked the opening ceremony of International Conference on Hospital, Insurance and Pharmacy Interaction （hereinafter referring to as “HIP Interaction”）, an important and innovative academic exchange activity about healthcare reform in China. The conference was hosted by Huazhong University of Science and Technology （HUST）. More than 140 experts and delegates from countries such as China, US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia and Sweden participated in the conference. HUST Vice President Prof.Chen Jianguo addressed the open ceremony.

HIP Interaction refers to the interactions and interest balance among hospital, insurance and pharmacy. It is a crucial part in the top-level design of healthcare system reform in China with government’s macro-control to ensure the sound work of those three sub-systems and to improve the efficiency and fairness in China’s healthcare system. To sum up, it aims at building a healthcare system suitable for our national conditions and satisfactory to our citizens.

In his address, Prof. Fang Pengqian from School of Medical Hygiene Management, the chairman of the conference, systematically clarified the process of and the challenge of China healthcare reform, as well as the connotation and philosophy of HIP Interaction. Meanwhile, he put forward some concrete suggestions about enhancing international communication and cooperation on healthy policy and management.

Professor Lu Zuxun from School of Public Health and Professor Liu Zhiyong from School of Medical Hygiene Management in HUST acted as moderators. Focusing on latest topics on medical and health service, the conference set English as the official language for communication and equipped with simultaneous interpreters. Experts from those foreign countries, Tsinghua University, Fudan University and Wuhan University also presented their academic reports. Delegates had heated discussion.

Professor Jochen Breinlinger-O’Reilly from Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin in Germany, Prof. Michael A. Counte from Saint Louis University in US, Prof. Ian Kirkpatrick from University of Leeds in UK and Prof. Gary E. Day from Griffith University in Australia shared international experience about HIP Interaction respectively through speeches about “The History of Iinsurance and Healthcare Reform in Germany”, “ImprovingHospital Performance at a Healthcare Reform Age”, “Britain’s Experience of Challenges in Management of Health System” and “Summary of the Healthcare Fund Raising and Health Insurance”. Professor Chen Yingyao from School of Public Health in Fudan University, Prof. Zhang Xinping from School of Medical Hygiene Management in HUST, Prof. Cheng Feng from Research Center for Public Health in Tsinghua University and Prof. Tan Xiaodong from School of Public Health in Wuhan University also clarified the current situation and challenges of HIP Interaction in China respectively with the speeches about “Review and Summary of the Public Hospitals Management”, “Integration between Pharmacy and Insurance”, “Thinking on China’s Insurance System” and “Comment on the Reform of Health Management System in China”.

Professor Yue Hong from School of Medical Hygiene Management in HUST concluded at the closing ceremony that the conference promoted the exchanges between researchers in hospital, insurance, pharmacy and other relevant fields. And she hoped that the reform of HIP Interaction in China would achieve a breakthrough with the efforts from experts in and abroad.