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PREPACT – A receptivity assessment for hMPV and RSV diagnosis in older adults
Project Status: ONGOING (September 2024 – December 2025)
What aims and scope
PREPACT aims to address receptivity and identify drivers and barriers towards providing timely and effective diagnosis of RSV and hMPV in older adults (defined as people aged 60-65+, including at-risk populations), with special emphasis on testing and surveillance. PREPACT will also develop recommendations to enhance receptivity levels in selected European countries, with specific attention to hMPV, which is still significantly under-diagnosed and under-recognised.
How it became possible
EHMA will lead in setting up an expert focus group that will advise on the project methodology, including the methodology of the literature review on the diagnosis and impact of RSV and hMPV. Focusing on France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, data regarding receptivity will be collected following expert input from the aforementioned focus group. The data collection will include the administration of a survey and/or one-on-one interviews with experts in outpatient and hospital settings from the selected countries.
Where EHMA delivers
The baseline receptivity report will be developed in two phases. First, a framework will be set based on inputs from the focus group and the literature review. The framework will be shared with the sponsor for initial feedback. Upon completion of the data collection, the first draft of the report will be developed and submitted to the focus group and the sponsor for feedback. The feedback will be integrated into the final version of the report. A session at the European Health Management Conference 2025 (in Rennes, France, 4-6 June 2025) will be used to present the preliminary results and to facilitate a broader discussion on the topic of prevention and immunisation in older adults. Finally, the baseline receptivity report will be disseminated via EHMA and Sanofi channels.
EHMA has expertise in immunisation research, including the health system burden and disruption caused by RSV in Europe. The EHMA RSV survey (Aug-Dec 2021) on the health system burden and disruption took a comprehensive ‘whole systems approach’ to document and characterise the public health impact of RSV across the care spectrum. EHMA conducted a comprehensive stakeholder mapping exercise to identify, contact, and successfully engage the European paediatric community, primary care, and allied healthcare professionals. A total of 45 European and national-level medical organisations were contacted and successfully mobilised for survey dissemination. In 2024, EHMA has also been conducting a study on the burden of pneumococcal diseases in older adults in selected European countries, namely Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, and Portugal.
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
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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
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Dr Eszter Kovács, Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University, Hungary
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Dr Alexandre Lourenco, APAH - Association of Portuguese Hospital Managers, Portugal
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Prof. Ann Mahon, University of Manchester, UK
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Dr Antoni Peris Grao, Consorci Castelldefels Agents de Salut (CASAP), Spain