This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Improving care delivery to patients with complex care needs
16 January 2023
Is it possible to provide high-quality personalised care as efficiently as population care? Our webinar on ‘Improving care delivery to patients with complex care needs’ featured a discussion on this very topic with Ms Nadia Benahamed from the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE) and our member, Prof Paul Lillrank from Aalto University, Finland. The speakers presented case studies from two perspectives: Ms Benahamed discussed how to analyse and formulate integrated care policy at national and regional level to assist policy-makers forge integrated care models; while Prof Lillrank outlined how to design a technological solution for integrated care delivery.
Fragmentation between care services is one of the key barriers to providing high quality care to patients. The loss of patient information in the continuum of care, the lack of readily accessible treatment history and poor organisational links between professionals working in different care sectors are just a few factors leading to disrupted care pathways especially in the case of patients with chronic and multimorbid conditions. New tools and solutions are being developed to address these challenges, such as policy frameworks, or instruments that improve seamless care for patients.
On 12 January 2023, Prof Axel Kaehne, Professor at Edge Hill University and Vice-president of EHMA, moderated a webinar on this issue from two perspectives. Ms Nadia Benahmed, who is a health service research expert at KCE, spoke about Belgium integrated care policy development; while Prof Paul Lillrank of Aalto University presented the University’s Virtual Care Operator project (MASSE) which enables personalised care delivery to large groups through tailor-made patient cards. The two case studies had a common element: data collected in a systematic way allows for improved treatment, higher quality of care and patient satisfaction.
As in many countries, Belgium also has a multi-level governance for health. Therefore, geographical units must be defined according to the territories of these governance levels: at decision maker level (macro), at the organisational care level (meso e.g. hospital network, organisation of the primary care) and patient level (micro e.g. at point of care). As a consequence, the data collection to define population health needs must be sufficiently granular to fit each territory level and adapt the care provision accordingly. Data is thus the core element to transform the concept of integrated care into concrete integration of care in the different geographical territories.
Integrated care requires indicators based on Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable data (FAIR principles). However, some challenges in creating a data ecosystem were identified, particularly in Belgium, where data availability is in different languages (French and Flemish) and the multiple number of sources and standards available.
Prof Paul Lillrank presented the Virtual Care Operator project (MASSE). This project includes the benefits of both population and personalised healthcare and it enables tailored care provision at the efficiency level of population health (mass-production efficiency). Whilst a personalised care manager, justified in certain very complex cases would be extremely costly, the Virtual Care Operator enables each service provider to understand each patient’s situation and needs through a personalised Patient Card in a simple and cost-efficient manner. Such a card contains only the information relevant to the specific professional in a specific care situation. One of the principal questions around this project concerns data needs and the stratification of data selected from the large pool of all available data. The Virtual Care Operator project in this sense shows a lot of similarities with the Belgian integrated care policy study.
Portability of interoperable patient data becomes extremely important and an urgent issue in order to ensure continuum of care, integration of health and social care data for each individual but particularly for patients with multimorbidity or citizens working across borders within the Union.
Whilst providing high quality personalised care as efficiently as population care provision, there are solutions available that can really help tailor personalised care provision to the wider population and to patients with complex care needs. This personalisation is enabled by stratified data on a digital card, accessible to the multidisciplinary care team. Data is key in order to operationalise care integration in practice. Granular data collection allows for adapting the care supply to the needs of the population.
CHECK OUT THE WEBINAR RECORDING AND MATERIALSRecent News
Promoting risk-reduction interventions in Rare Tumour Risk Syndromes – The PREVENTABLE project kicks off
Including medication treatment data in the European Health Data Space
Building capacity to use interoperable digital health solutions – The XpanDH project kicks off
What our Members say
I have been active in EHMA since the first years of the '90s and I have seen its evolution from a small association of members interested in sharing knowledge on health management practices to the current status of reference and advisory key player for EU, health systems and organisations, stakeholders associations, industry and universities. EHMA is now a unique knowledge hub, policy advisor, community of practice and network of best in class organisations involved in health policy and management. A place where health managers can build their competences, policy-makers and stakeholder associations envision how to implement and sustain change through health management, industry leaders understand how to engage more effectively with health organisations and systems. The right place to nurture and grow health management capabilities and capacity for every stakeholder of health systems.
Prof. Federico Lega, University of Milan, Italy
Health management has a crucial function in shaping public health and health system challenges. The Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria had success in collaborating with EHMA on EU-funded projects that has resourced us to create new health management competencies for the future workforce. In addition to all classical definitions, health management is a science dealing with individuals, groups, and society at large. It is an art contributing to the beauty of our lives and an interactive communication process at all levels of institutions and human energy. I have also had the pleasure to chair the South Eastern European Special Interest Group which gives members a space to discuss and tools to address how health systems are managed in our regions.
Prof. Todorka Kostadinova, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria
I enjoy the high level of interaction and engagement in EHMA’s activities, in particular during the annual conference where the panel discussions are rich and well prepared. As a hospital manager and professor of health management, EHMA motivates and inspires me to be creative. You go back home feeling energised from seeing old friends and making new connections, as well as being convinced of serving as EHMA’s ambassador. It’s a strong feeling of interdisciplinary engagement, but it also feels like being part of family-like community.
Prof. Sandra C. Buttigieg, University of Malta, Malta
EHMA is a pre-eminent organisation for everyone working in planning, managing and delivering health services across Europe. As a long standing member of EHMA I have always been impressed by the vibrant community of managers, researchers and academics it has created and by the many opportunities for sharing knowledge and funding opportunities it has brought to its members. Its international scope is impressive and its impact is often felt in management and research across European and national health systems.
Prof. Axel Kaehne, Edge Hill University, UK
Health workforce has become more essential in operating, managing and maintaining health systems lately, particularly in crisis and emergency situations. European healthcare professions and the workforce need to be high on the agenda of managers and decision makers. The Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University in Hungary is a longstanding EHMA member, because it connects us with collaborators and experts, with whom we can have complex debates, from whom we can learn and at the end find solutions in various challenging fields of healthcare management.
Dr Eszter Kovács, Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University, Hungary
As a hospital administrator and health management professor, I see on a daily basis that the healthcare challenges require talented and skilled managers to transform it. the EHMA membership has been beneficial to bring healthcare management research and education to the demanding healthcare services world, promoting healthcare management competencies and knowledge creation.
Dr Alexandre Lourenco, APAH - Association of Portuguese Hospital Managers, Portugal
Many healthcare systems in Europe and beyond are facing similar challenges which require innovative and creative solutions. EHMA’s annual conference, webinars, Programme Directors’ group and other activities and resources provide incredible opportunities for networking, connecting and sharing experiences. A distinct feature of EHMA is the diversity of members with representation from many countries, sectors and different communities of practice – academic, policy-makers, practitioners, managers, leaders and students. The annual conference is a highlight in the calendar year, offering a friendly, fun and learningful environment for emerging and established members to engage, collaborate and meet up with old and new friends. I am proud to be a member of the EHMA Board.
Prof. Ann Mahon, University of Manchester, UK
Society evolution, pandemics and ageing modify health needs. So, health policies and services are to change dramatically. EHMA, through webinars, workshops and annual conference provides an excellent insight to a professional changing world, favouring closeness to management innovation and the protagonists of these changes. As a primary care services’ manager, participating in EHMA activities is really worth it and allows to involve oneself in the innovation processes.
Dr Antoni Peris Grao, Consorci Castelldefels Agents de Salut (CASAP), Spain