Foresight for policy making to be better prepared for the future

Abstract

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic showed that we were not prepared for unexpected and uncertain events. Foresight provides a process that explores the future to anticipate such events and be better prepared. However, in public health, foresight is underdeveloped and underused. It is necessary that policy makers and stakeholders realize the potential and benefits of including foresight into the policy cycle and advocate towards its implementation. Methods Foresight provides a systematic, participatory, and vision-building process that explores the future to anticipate trends and support present-day actions. It provides a participatory platform to discuss such trends and explore different scenarios to get insights into possible challenges and how to address them. Results Foresight studies can allow policy makers to discuss trends, build scenarios, and anticipate future challenges while also exploring desirable futures. We propose several recommendations to professionals and policy makers to include foresight into the policy cycle to promote sustainable and resilient health systems. Conclusions Foresight does not predict the future, it rather explores it through plausible scenarios that consider uncertainty. It provides an overview into possible future challenges to allow present-day policies that anticipate and address these challenges. Implementing foresight into the policy cycle can be a strategic tool towards addressing uncertain challenges and building desirable futures.