E-Health Archives - Page 9 of 10 - Assembly of European Regions

This is the tag for all posts relating to e-health.

Donegal, a breathtaking experience

23 October, 2014 By Editor

Letterkenny, Donegal (IE), 23 October 2014

There has been a constant tendency in Europe to highlight best practices and success-stories, yet sharing failures is also key to avoid or reduce the impacts of challenges.

This was the core message of this week in Donegal, during the Assembly of European Regions’ (AER) events on ‘E-health: independence and inclusion in the 21st century’. “Sharing success makes us feel good but does not necessarily lead to actions. There may be a wrong assumption that for some regions, e-health is easy to deploy while in others, it seems impossible. Both assertions are false: everything in healthcare is difficult and this is true wherever in Europe. However, despite the challenges, experience shows that political will combined with leadership can move mountains” stressed Agneta Granström, AER Committee for Public Health and Social Affairs (2) Vice-President.

“I am honoured to be welcoming delegates from all over Europe to our county. Over the last few days we have had an opportunity to share learning and experiences and to explore opportunities for greater collaboration in ways of using technology to ensure that people can live independent and inclusive lives“. stressed John Campbell, Chair of Donegal County Council (IE). “I’m sure that you were positively surprised by Donegal initiatives”. How right he was.

Indeed, the 120 participants had a breathtaking experience during their study visit to the Donegal Centre for Independent Living (DCIL). Not only did they discover the true meaning of Independent living but also received a collective wake up call. Established in 1999, DCIL is an organisation both for and of people with physical and sensory disabilities. This centre seeks to empower and enable people with disabilities so as to enhance their quality of life; to assist in achieving independent living and their full participation and inclusion in the social, cultural, economic and political life of society. “We don’t want charity, we are demanding what the other citizens already have” stated Martin Naughton, one of the co-founders of DCIL. “My life has a disability; I’m going to live with it, whilst trying to have a life like anybody else (…). In the past, the big award was integration, now we want inclusion” he added.

AER Committee 2 flash news

Kenneth Johannesson, County Councillor of Värmland (SE), was elected ‘Equal Opportunities’ representative within Committee 2.

Useful links

–Follow-up leaflet of the events in Donegal “E-health: Independence & Inclusion in the 21st century”
– SmartCare project
– ENGAGED thematic network
– Video playlist of the DCIL action plan
– Seminar on Integrated care

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!

Pick an important problem and fix it!

23 October, 2014 By Johanna Pacevicius

Independent living is not an easy topic, especially with shrinking budgets and growing needs. E-health is obviously part of the solution but as Marta Tatar, County Councillor of Covasna (RO) mentioned “to create integrated care systems we need integrated communities”, and that was what made it so special to be in Donegal (IE) last month: the region, which earlier this year won the AER Most Youth-Friendly Region Special Prize for their Youth Council’s initiative to raise awareness on mental health, excels at making the quadruple helix work!

The 120 delegates who gathered in Letterkenny from 20 to 23 October had the opportunity to hear and see how the region supports independent living from an early age by empowering all citizens young and old and also shared their own experience on the implementation of integrated care systems.

Follow AER!

Seminar on integrated care systems

22 October, 2014 By Johanna Pacevicius

During the seminar we aimed to explore the topics of independence and inclusion specifically. The event was an opportunity to attain significant information on the implementation of Ehealth practices, share experiences with peers and engage regions for political action at European level. Many regions are already implementing innovative policies to encourage the growth of the silver economy and build inclusive societies. Interregional cooperation and mutual learning approaches are therefore key to fast track age-friendly innovation in Europe.

This seminar was organised in the context of the SmartCare project for the deployment of integrated care systems in regions.

Documents and presentations:

Detailed programme

Brochure and conclusions

Soo Hun, programme manager NHS Northern Ireland, Pilot region
currently deploying integrated care systems

Maria del Pilar Lopez, Murcia (ES), Member of the SmartCare Committed
Regions Board preparing for future deployment of integrated care systems

Gwen Mooney (IRL), Service Manager, Older People Services, HSE West,
Ireland

Manuel Escolano Puig, Vice Minister of Personal Autonomy and
Dependence Valencia (ES)

Medzait Ljatifi, County Councillor, Nordjylland (DK) on the regional
strategy for integrated care and inclusion.

Denise Curran (IRL), Service Manager for the Donegal HSE Physical and
Sensory Disability Services (speech here)

World Health and Design Forum

22 October, 2014 By Editor

On 22 October in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant (NL), at the occasion of the World Health and Design Forum, AER organised an event focusing on regional politicians’ involvement in the implementation of smart solutions for active and healthy living. 5 regional politicians exchanged on the strategies they were developing in this field in their territories and the obstacles they met. The AER Academic and Training Centre then introduced the leadership toolkit and the potential offered by this toolkit to all decision-makers in setting up efficient public policies, in particular in the active and healthy living sector.

Parallel round tables then allowed all participants to explore the diversity of national and regional health care systems in Europe and specify their needs to roll up a leadership programme targeted at these needs. A concrete output of the event will be the organisation of training sessions on Leadership in various Regions of Europe in 2015.

Follow AER!

Structural funds for health: a regional perspective

6 October, 2014 By Editor

Karsten Uno Petersen, President of the AER Committee on Social Policy and Public Health and Vice President of the region of Southern Denmark, and Anthoni Zwiefka, Senior Specialist of Lower Silesia (PL) shared their experience on the use of structural funds for health during the information session AER co-organised in partnership with COCIR, the trade association of the healthcare industry, HOPE, the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation on 7 October in Brussels, at the Open Days.

Both speakers highlighted the relevance of interregional cooperation to improve information to stakeholders from hospitals and the industry on the potential of structural funds for health. Over the past few years AER has provided its members with guidance on structural funds via the masterclasses organised within the EuregioIII project, as well as via a specific Structural funds for Health information campaign in 2012.

Follow AER!

Ambient Assisted Living: all regions are needed on board!

1 October, 2014 By Johanna Pacevicius

Bucharest (RO), 11 September 2014

On the occasion of the AAL Forum in Bucharest, the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the Community of Regions for Assisted Living (CORAL) and the Engaged network explored how to achieve increased coherence between the numerous initiatives for active and healthy ageing in Europe whilst supporting the creation of a market for ambient assisted living technologies.

“Engagement at European level is crucial for regions: many have already created and tested innovative solutions. Sharing successes and failures through these networks helps us learn from each other and better prepare the deployment of ICT-based technologies for health“ said Dr Marta Tatar, County Councillor of Covasna (RO) and member of the AER [email protected] network. In a rapidly changing world, transdisciplinarity and constant dialogue are needed to foster innovation. This is where interregional and thematic networks play an important role.

“The AAL Forum in Bucharest shows once again its value when many EU regions gather and exchange results and visions on the challenging journey of changing the face of healthcare. Brainport/Brabant is proud to be part of that community!” said Peter Portheine from Brainport / Slimmer Leven 2020, Noord-Brabant (NL).

Earlier this week Paul Timmers, Director General for Sustainable & Secure Society at DG Connect, highlighted as well the crucial role of regions in large-scale deployment and insisted that leadership is essential.

Increasing cooperation between stakeholders and bridging the gap between research and the ambient assisted living market are the main objectives of the AAL Forum. In this context, the Engaged network also organised a mutual learning workshop on business models for care, cure and independent living.

Events :
“E-health : Independence and Inclusion in the 21st century”, a series of capacity building events and a political debate on the engagement of regions at European level. 21-23 October 2015, Letterkenny, Donegal (IE)

“Strong leadership”, talk show with politicians organised by CORAL and AER at the World Health and Design Forum, a unique combination of design, high-tech and social innovation. 22 October 2015, Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant (NL)

Useful links:
AER activities on active and healthy ageing
CORAL
ENGAGED website
AAL Forum

The AAL Programme funds international projects involving small and medium enterprises, research bodies and user’s organisations (representing the older adults).

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!

Innovation in integrated care: start now!

19 June, 2014 By Editor

Some 80 people met in Kent (GB) for an ENGAGED workshop on 3 June 2014 on innovation in integrated care around the world. Two topics of the day: the integrated care approach and the impact that innovation hubs can have.

Members of the audience discussed assessment procedures, the patient experience and how people may need to be supported in learning to use technologies. Many issues highlighted are organisational, but – whatever the challenges – speakers were keen to advocate “start now!”. This is also why AER is engaged in both the SmartCare and the Engaged projects, which provide regional stakeholders with tools and more importantly, concrete support, to start the journey.

Learn more about the ENGAGED network !

Follow AER!

SmartCare General Assembly & CRB workshop: AER supports regions on the path of integrated e-care

19 June, 2014 By Editor

At the 2014 eHealth Forum event, representatives from 22 European regions gathered in Athens (GR) for the Annual General Assembly of SmartCare, a CIP ICT-PSP project, with the objective of defining and deploying ICT-based integrated care pathways to facilitate the delivery of more efficient care to older European citizens.

As both project partner and manager of the SmartCare Committed Regions Board (CRB), AER organized within this framework a mutual-learning workshop to support regions in implementing of ICT-based integrated care services. Based on a peer review approach, the workshop encouraged participating regions to analyse their current care system characteristics and weaknesses, identify common obstacles and discuss potential solutions to improve the integration of care.

Follow AER!

First joint plenary session for AER Committees 1 & 2

17 April, 2014 By Editor

Joining forces for the first time in a joint plenary session, the members of AER Committees for Economy and Regional development (1) and for Social and Health policy (2), discussed in Edirne (TR) about the state of play of their political priorities and activities.

During the first half of the session the Committee 1 Working Groups invited members to join them for their core activities in the coming months: a Press Conference on [email protected] and Rural Development (29/04) a working morning on TENT-T and Connecting Europe Facility (30/04), the European Business Summit (14-15/05) and the Funding Session on Energy (03/06).

The second half was dedicated to Committee 2 past and upcoming activities: earlier this year, Committee 2 members were actively involved in the 2014 Arctic Light e-Health Conference, the “Have your Say” event on social entrepreneurship and the EASPD Conference on Disabilities. In the coming weeks, members interested in active and healthy ageing are encouraged to participate to the SmartCare and ENGAGED mutual learning workshops taking place in Athens during the E-Health Forum (13-16/05).

Finally all members contributed to the elaboration of a joint AER Position on Entrepreneurship, bringing forward concrete recommendations on how to set up the necessary business infrastructure to create a culture for entrepreneurship in the region.

AER members are invited to submit their amendments to this position until 1 May in order to develop a truly transversal document celebrating the European entrepreneurial spirit.

Follow AER!

E-Health: efficiency starts with dialogue

6 February, 2014 By Editor

Kiruna, Norrbotten (S), 6 February 2014

The fourth bi-annual Arctic-Light [email protected] Conference, ALEC 2014 took place in Kiruna and gathered 200 participants on the theme of the ‘co-creating patient’ on 4-6 February. Opened by President Ilves of Estonia, the conference featured an impressive panel of speakers, who sought to address both the technical and organisational aspects affecting the patient’s experience.

Data ownership, interoperability, security, accessibility, communication, shifting perceptions are but a few of the themes that were discussed in ALEC 2014. Indeed to achieve patients’ empowerment and better healthcare, infrastructure is essential but it should go hand in hand with true organisational change, trust and good contact between patients and caregivers. In this context sharing good but also bad practices, learning from each other’s experiences is key to achieve faster and more efficient deployment of innovative solutions.

Participants were therefore also encouraged to take part in the ENGAGED side event on “building a learning community for active and healthy ageing solutions”. ENGAGED is a process-oriented network, which brings together stakeholders from very different backgrounds around the emergence of innovative and sustainable active and healthy ageing (AHA) services that make best use of technology. Today’s workshop therefore was very interactive and led to the production of material, which will feed in upcoming workshops in an incremental way.

“During these 3 days we heard about successful initiatives from Europe and beyond. E-health is possible, it does provide more comfort, safety and a better link with caregivers. Now we need regional decision-makers to keep this momentum and engage in dialogue both within their regions and at interregional and national level to roll out e-health” said Agneta Granström, the AER [email protected] Network President and County Commissioner of Norrbotten.

“E-health is not about technology only, but about empowering the patients and generating more social and territorial cohesion, Regions have a pivotal role in initiating effective change impulses and AER provides them with a tailor-made platform to scale up action” underlined AER President Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!

Building more inclusive regions

13 December, 2013 By Editor

Valencia, Generalitat Valenciana (ES), 13 December 2013

Social inclusion is not a new, revolutionary topic or a recent challenge that our society and political systems have do deal with. Yet, as the drivers for social exclusion are manifold and their consequences have been exacerbated by the crisis, the issue has become increasingly topical.

90 regional representatives and experts gathered for the ‘Building inclusive societies’ conference organised by the Generalitat Valenciana (ES) and the Assembly of European Regions (AER) to share good practices on how to improve citizens’ ability to realise their potential and participate fully in society. Transferability was obviously high on the agenda, and one of the main conclusions was that whatever the context, the human factor is extremely important. Commitment and cooperation are indeed the key to achieve positive results. Institutions, companies and the third sector need to work closely together in a long-term perspective.

“Building an inclusive society is much more than a political responsibility, said Asunción Sánchez Zaplana, Regional Minister for Social Welfare of Valencia (ES), it is much more than developing a series of actions or even defining a strategy. It involves the setting up of an inclusive culture that takes root in our society, determining the involvement and co-responsibility of each organisation and institution, each social stakeholder, each citizen with respect to groups of people who could find themselves in a situation of vulnerability.”

European regions are very diverse but they are faced with common challenges. Learning together is essential. “We simply cannot afford social exclusion, underlined AER President Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli. AER believes in a regional approach, that can deliver decentralised, creative, bottom-up solutions to common problems. Regions being close to citizens, they are best placed to design and implement user- and experience-based solutions to build inclusive societies.”

User-based solutions allow, for instance, for better and more efficient care for patients as was showcased by the ESTHER network (Jönköping, SE), which aims at improving the way patients flow through the system of care by strengthening coordination and communication among providers. The co-creating patient will also be the focus of the international Arctic Light e-Health Conference, ALEC, co-organised by the AER and which will take place in Kiruna (SE) on 4-5 February 2014.

Karsten Uno Petersen, President of the AER Committee on ‘Social policy and Public health’ (2), highlighted that “We have a history of actively supporting innovation in the public sector to build more inclusive societies. Regions can act as labs for tomorrow: they can test solutions and see what works and what doesn’t. And that’s what we do through initiatives like the AER [email protected] network and projects like the ICT-PSP SmartCare project or the ENGAGED thematic network.”

Useful links :

ALEC 2014
SmartCare project
ENGAGED thematic network

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!

Making a real difference!

12 October, 2013 By Editor

In the framework of the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) forum 2013, CORAL*, EUREGHA**, AER and the ENGAGED project organised a lively talk on regional innovation in active and healthy ageing. Five regional politicians explained how they boost innovation in active and healthy ageing in their regions and how they collaborate at European level. Some short videos from regions were also presented, giving the 50 participants the opportunity to discover which are the best practices all over Europe. “It is essential that Europe addresses the issue of large-scale implementation of health and social care innovation”, said Agneta Granström, County Councillor of Norrbotten (S) and Chair of the AER [email protected] network, “For now we only have innovation islands.”

This interactive event allowed to share a number of regional strategies to innovate in health and to go back home with new ideas for the welfare of European seniors through independent living and integrated care. “Design thinking is not only about designing objects and buildings, it is about redesigning processes in health and social care”, said Brigite Van Haaften, Vice-Governor of the Province of Noord-Brabant (NL).

Among the proposals made by the politicians and the audience, the idea of setting a group of Ambassadors to pass on the message of innovation in active ageing locally, in different languages, received support. “We need to find some multipliers for our actions”, agreed the participants.

Commissioner Neelie Kroes welcomed this joint event through a message to the participants. The AAL Joint programme is an important pillar in the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP AHA) initiated by the European Commission.

Follow AER!

Improving the quality and continuity of care in the regions

28 June, 2013 By Editor

What happens to frail patients when they are discharged from the hospital? On 28 June 2013, European regions gathered in Barcelona to discuss how to build a bridge between health and social care through ICT tools.

Integration of care is needed to fill in the care gap that exists in the organisation, delivery and management of care, thus improving the quality and continuity of patient services. More generally, integrated care aims to make regional care systems more efficient by addressing the issue of services fragmentation and by creating synergies between services.

The seminar, organised by the AER in the framework of SmartCare (a project funded by the European programme ICT PSP), aimed at providing regional politicians and civil servants with an introduction to integrated e-care issues, in order to give them the tools to decide about future care models.

Are you interested in integrated e-care? Join the Committed Regions’ Board of SmartCare and follow the project’s progress!

Follow AER!

10 recommendations for the Regions to overcome the crisis

15 May, 2013 By Editor

Paris, Île de France (F), 16 May 2013

The Assembly of European (AER) has gathered today in Paris 250 European, national and regional decision makers as well as representatives from the business and banking sector, in the presence of Janusz Lewandowski, European Commissioner for financial programming and Budget, Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Ile-de-France Regional Council (F) and Laurent FABIUS, French Minister for Foreign Affairs.

AER President Michèle Sabban’s message : “Confronted with the crisis, which is affecting Europe, regions must take their place as a true driving force, bringing up proposals. Their current difficulties should not prevent them from fully exploiting their strengths and potential. We have to keep in mind that the majority of the European laws are implemented at local and regional level and the budget for regional policies represents the European Union second budgetary position (35% of the EU budget). That is why we have made today 10 firm recommendations in order to initiate new public policies and mobilise their territories. We just gave out personally our recommendations to Commissioner Lewandowski and Minister Fabius, and the AER will now bring this message and commitments to the EU Institutions as well as to all member States!”.
1. Future-oriented sectors, a key for the regional economic revival

Set up a region-by-region diagnosis and identify the potentials to develop in every future-oriented sector: green economy, e-health, the new silver economy and the creative, cultural and tourist industries. With this purpose, AER is providing regions with its regional peer review methodology;
Place itself at the heart of the implementation of European solutions, using instruments such as the smart specialisation strategy or new instruments of the 2020 strategy in order to boost their tangible and effective enforcement;
Support SMEs in their international development by providing them with a considerable network and relevant knowledge of European financial assistance and programs assigned to them.

2. Moving towards the youth: European mobility and future jobs

Multiply the number of the AER Eurodyssée program recipients. Eurodyssée is a pioneer program for professional mobility, for young graduate job seekers;
Develop special jobs destined for young professionals in the future-oriented sectors in line with regional economic strategies.

3. Release the creative potential of our regions, including the potential of entrepreneurship

Simplify the administrative steps for setting up a company and assist new enterprises throughout the business start-up process;
Stimulate entrepreneurship not only in schools but also in unemployment centres;
Develop micro-credits.

4. Assure a more sustainable financing for our local and regional economy:

Develop new banking tools in partnership with regions in order to help them to adapt to their needs
Assist enterprises with the help of European Union financial tools and its structural funds;
Support solidarity and social economy.

5. Give every one a chance: the regions as engines of inclusion:

The regions must implement in their area of influence equality measures between women and men;
Anti-discrimination campaigns;
Work in networks with social partners and chambers of commerce to encourage the access to the labour market for the most discriminated parts of society, such as migrants, long-term unemployed or low-skilled young people.

6. Regaining the Citizens’ Trust:

Have an exemplary administration and behaviour on regional level;
Maintain and reinforce the equalisation and regional solidarity systems among states;
Promote an European regional policy which benefits everyone.

7. Restore Europe’ image in the eyes of its citizens

Make the general public known the tangible and positive impact of EU actions (programs destined to the citizens, structural funds…) and AER actions (interregional cooperation, good practices exchanges…), through information events and campaigns, such as the citizen forums and the summer universities.

8. Making partnership and multilevel governance a reality:

Make regions become a privileged European Union partner;
Promote a regional governing guideline, allowing regions and local communities in general, to directly manage their development policies.

9. Acting internationally:

The AER is a network model of regions for all the five continents. It must accompany the implementation of sister organisations in the whole world to enable exchanges about global issues; fight against climate change and economic cooperation…;
“Think globally, act locally”: a world regions’ summit will be prepared in 2014.

10. Put the AER into the heart of European regional policies’ harmonisation and coordination

Strengthen the AER programs, specially the [email protected] methodology, widely acclaimed in its origins on rural subjects, which could be used by regions from now on to transfer their policies and innovation projects;
Build together the united regions of Europe.

The Assembly of European Regions (AER – aer.eu) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together 250 regions from 35 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.

For more information: [email protected]

Follow AER!

Donegal, a breathtaking experience

Pick an important problem and fix it!

Seminar on integrated care systems

Documents and presentations:

World Health and Design Forum

Structural funds for health: a regional perspective

Ambient Assisted Living: all regions are needed on board!

Innovation in integrated care: start now!

SmartCare General Assembly & CRB workshop: AER supports regions on the path of integrated e-care

E-Health: efficiency starts with dialogue

Building more inclusive regions

Making a real difference!

Improving the quality and continuity of care in the regions

10 recommendations for the Regions to overcome the crisis

Library

Join AER!

Website map