European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Launches Unique Project to Accelerate Implementation and Business Uptake of Integrated Care Systems

The goal of the project is to ensure access to existing and emerging HIV/AIDS treatments accessible and delivered according to established guidelines and recommendations.

Tackling challenges in European healthcare
The dramatic rise of chronic diseases and co-morbidity in Europe is putting tremendous pressure on the financing of our healthcare systems. The way our care is currently organized needs a drastic shift towards a new and sustainable model: integrated care, involving prevention and self-management by patients.

In order to accelerate the implementation of efficient and financially viable integrated care systems in Europe, EIT Health (European Institute of Innovation & Technology) has launched the KISS2.0 project (January 2016 – February 2017) in which a consortium of European partners, including iMinds, will join forces.

Models for integrated and personalized care
Unique in its approach, KISS2.0 will develop business models for integrated and personalized care in three European regions: Flanders, Germany and Sweden. These models will be based on a commercial ICT tool for chain management by the care team and will leverage the patients’ capacity to self-manage and assess their chronic diseases, for example through the use of wearables. They will generate important market opportunities for SMEs that are directing their operations, products or services towards the integrated care system.

Business scenario and chain management tool
As a primary outcome, KISS2.0 will deliver valuable information for policy makers and health insurers on the most likely business scenario for integrated care in Flanders, Sweden and Germany.

A secondary outcome will be the development of an ICT tool to be used by (teams of) health professionals for care coordination, organization of secondary prevention and early detection of co-morbidities; but also by patients to self-manage their health and care processes. After the 1-year project duration, this stratification and chain management technology will have been tested on patients with diabetes type 2 in Belgium, Sweden and Germany and will be ready for commercialization on a European scale.

Four small enterprises partnering in the European project consortium play a lead role in realizing these outcomes. Two of them will develop the new care organization models, while two other SMEs will build ICT tools based on an existing solution for commercial chain management.

“We want to have a system such as Vital Health Software at our disposal that offers the intelligence and optimization features for optimal clinical assessment and stratification of diagnosed citizens, developing stratification and care pathway solutions that can be applied in Belgium. This will pave the way for new approaches to local integrated care settings and a business case for our company, fully aligned with the Belgian government’s plans on organizing Chronic Care,” explains Jan Van Emelen of MACX (KISS2.0 project partner).

Leveraging existing know-how and living lab methodology
The project will build on the best practices and learnings from six years of integrated eCare implementation in Gesundes Kinzigtal, Germany (1) by project partner OptiMedis AG, and on the experience with diabetes care as an integral part of the Swedish primary care system, coordinated by Rise.

iMinds contributes its expertise in living lab methodology. “Our experience in panel management and setting up focus groups to capture information, as well as our know-how of innovative business modelling bring real assets to the project,” says Roger Lemmens (iMinds). The models will be tested and fine-tuned through LiCalab, one of the six Flemish Care Living Lab platforms supported by iMinds.

Chronic Care plan of Belgian government
In Belgium, the KISS2.0 project aligns with the federal government’s large-scale plan to improve the organization of chronic care through 4-year projects. It will offer Belgian partners iMinds and MACX unique insights on the implementation, IT challenges and customization of information systems in a multidisciplinary setting around a chronic patient, reinforcing them as candidates to spearhead one or more of Belgium’s ambitious chronic care projects starting in 2017.

More info: Katrien Van Gucht – iMinds Coordinator of KISS2.0

(1)Reime, Birgit; Kardel, Udo; Melle, Christian; Roth, Monika; Auel, Marcus; Hildebrandt, Helmut (2013) From Agreement to Realisation: Six Years of Investment in Integrated eCare in Kinzigtal. In: Meyer, I., Müller, S., Kubitschke, L. (ed) Achieving effective integrated e-care beyond the silos, Empirica, Germany. Advances in Healthcare Information Systems and Administration Book series (AHISA). pp272-289

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