Periodic Reporting for period 1 - THCS (European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-01-01 bis 2024-06-30
Health and care systems in Europe are facing a number of core common challenges - demographic change, health and care workforce dynamics, technological development and organisational innovation just to name a few - which require harmonised and coordinated solutions. To address these issues, decisive improvements in resilience, organisation and coordination of health and care systems are needed, as well as capacity building, networking, dissemination and other key activities to support health systems transformation and the redesign and integration of care services to better respond to people’s needs.
In this scenario, the European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) represents a unique strategic opportunity to bring together stakeholders, create synergies, coordinate Research and Innovation actions, facilitate the digitization of health and care services and support the transformation of health and care systems with innovative solutions driven by knowledge and evidence.
THCS will seek in particular to foster the transition towards people-centred health and care systems, enabled by integrated services both across and beyond traditional health and care boundaries and by focusing on all the relevant dimensions for the delivery of health and care systems for all. The vision of the Partnership will be reached by embracing the whole knowledge and innovation cycle with a specific focus on the need to foster implementation, inform policy and practice, and provide the necessary inputs for improving health and care capacity.
In this scenario, the European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) represents a unique strategic opportunity to bring together stakeholders, create synergies, coordinate Research and Innovation actions, facilitate the digitization of health and care services and support the transformation of health and care systems with innovative solutions driven by knowledge and evidence.
THCS will seek in particular to foster the transition towards people-centred health and care systems, enabled by integrated services both across and beyond traditional health and care boundaries and by focusing on all the relevant dimensions for the delivery of health and care systems for all. The vision of the Partnership will be reached by embracing the whole knowledge and innovation cycle with a specific focus on the need to foster implementation, inform policy and practice, and provide the necessary inputs for improving health and care capacity.
In its first 18 months, THCS has already performed a number of activities (descried by pillar):
Pillar Programme management
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on setting up the governance of the Partnership and of the procedures and documents to ensure its smooth execution.
Once the Governance bodies were established and operational, the process of defining the AWP2024 began and was completed by M14. Currently, efforts are underway to prepare the AWP2025 to be shared with the EC by mid September for their check and considerations.
A clear plan to set up and foster strategic relations with other key initiatives at EU, National, and Regional levels was defined, as well as clear procedures and tools for a coherent and comprehensive dissemination and communication activity. All activities are in line with the Monitoring Framework, developed in 2023.
Key moments included the Kick Off Meeting of the Partnership, the organization of both physical and online General Assemblies and Strategic Board, the establishment and first in person meeting of the Advisory Board, the establishment of the Ambassador Network and the organisation of the first THCS Annual Conference.
Pillar Science & Innovation into Policy and Practice
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on laying the foundations for evidence-based and scientifically sound processes for the transferability of best practices and the implementation of innovation in enabled environments. The following main activities were performed:
- Preliminary work towards the finalization of the THCS Roadmap and methodology, already defined in the THCS SRIA
- Preliminary work towards mapping of RDI and capacity building and training needs for health and care systems
- Development of the first preliminary draft of the Framework for supporting the transferability and implementation of practices
- Development of activities to set the foundation towards the definition of policy dialogue tools
- Building a first toolbox to support policy dialogue for the uptake of results into policy
Pillar Research and Innovation funding
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on the two Joint Transnational Calls launched by THCS. The planning of the work included the preliminary setup of the JTC Secretariat, the Call Steering Committee, and the Monitoring System. This was followed by activities related to defining the Call texts, when a series of brainstorming meetings were held, during which the partnership was supported by the EC and various public health experts to maximize the call's impact (the report on these sessions was made available as a milestone). Finally, the call was launched and funding decisions for JTC 23 were taken. In parallel, the monitoring process for the funded projects commenced, definying monitoring indicators developing an IT monitoring tool.
Pillar Support transferability and strengthening ecosystems
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on defining and validating a strategy to strengthen the ecosystem, inviting forerunning countries/regions to connect and establish a permanent WG on "Transformative health and care ecosystems". The WG met and worked on the occasion of the two-day workshops organised in Vienna and Tampere. National Mirror Groups (NMG) were established with the aim of integrating the national perspective in the implementation of Partnership activities. Italy, Austria, The Netherlands, Finland, France (possibly in the following next year), Slovakia, and Scotland expressed interest in setting up a NMG.
Preliminary work to set up the Knowledge Hub, intended as a virtual space and a mix of initiatives and measures to foster transferability and capacity building, was implemented. The Knowledge Hub strategy was presented and a capacity-building workshop on the DG REFORM TSI support tool was carried out, focusing on sharing experiences and providing concrete examples of using the tool to strengthen the digitalization process of the health and care systems. The prototype (pilot?) version of the KH has been set up and will be shared with the partners for input and feedback in September.
Pillar Programme management
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on setting up the governance of the Partnership and of the procedures and documents to ensure its smooth execution.
Once the Governance bodies were established and operational, the process of defining the AWP2024 began and was completed by M14. Currently, efforts are underway to prepare the AWP2025 to be shared with the EC by mid September for their check and considerations.
A clear plan to set up and foster strategic relations with other key initiatives at EU, National, and Regional levels was defined, as well as clear procedures and tools for a coherent and comprehensive dissemination and communication activity. All activities are in line with the Monitoring Framework, developed in 2023.
Key moments included the Kick Off Meeting of the Partnership, the organization of both physical and online General Assemblies and Strategic Board, the establishment and first in person meeting of the Advisory Board, the establishment of the Ambassador Network and the organisation of the first THCS Annual Conference.
Pillar Science & Innovation into Policy and Practice
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on laying the foundations for evidence-based and scientifically sound processes for the transferability of best practices and the implementation of innovation in enabled environments. The following main activities were performed:
- Preliminary work towards the finalization of the THCS Roadmap and methodology, already defined in the THCS SRIA
- Preliminary work towards mapping of RDI and capacity building and training needs for health and care systems
- Development of the first preliminary draft of the Framework for supporting the transferability and implementation of practices
- Development of activities to set the foundation towards the definition of policy dialogue tools
- Building a first toolbox to support policy dialogue for the uptake of results into policy
Pillar Research and Innovation funding
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on the two Joint Transnational Calls launched by THCS. The planning of the work included the preliminary setup of the JTC Secretariat, the Call Steering Committee, and the Monitoring System. This was followed by activities related to defining the Call texts, when a series of brainstorming meetings were held, during which the partnership was supported by the EC and various public health experts to maximize the call's impact (the report on these sessions was made available as a milestone). Finally, the call was launched and funding decisions for JTC 23 were taken. In parallel, the monitoring process for the funded projects commenced, definying monitoring indicators developing an IT monitoring tool.
Pillar Support transferability and strengthening ecosystems
In the first 18 months, activities were focused on defining and validating a strategy to strengthen the ecosystem, inviting forerunning countries/regions to connect and establish a permanent WG on "Transformative health and care ecosystems". The WG met and worked on the occasion of the two-day workshops organised in Vienna and Tampere. National Mirror Groups (NMG) were established with the aim of integrating the national perspective in the implementation of Partnership activities. Italy, Austria, The Netherlands, Finland, France (possibly in the following next year), Slovakia, and Scotland expressed interest in setting up a NMG.
Preliminary work to set up the Knowledge Hub, intended as a virtual space and a mix of initiatives and measures to foster transferability and capacity building, was implemented. The Knowledge Hub strategy was presented and a capacity-building workshop on the DG REFORM TSI support tool was carried out, focusing on sharing experiences and providing concrete examples of using the tool to strengthen the digitalization process of the health and care systems. The prototype (pilot?) version of the KH has been set up and will be shared with the partners for input and feedback in September.