Digital transformation of healthcare requires collaboration between stakeholders from both the public and private sector to co-design and co-create digital solutions that meet the clinical demands. However, public-private collaborations in the EU appear often to be reactive to the needs of the healthcare sector rather than pro-active in defining needs and setting specifications. As such, the added value of these partnerships often isn’t 100% connected with the real needs of the healthcare providers.
Innovation procurement instruments such as PCP that recently were introduced by the European Commission for R&D and procurement of cross-border innovative solutions have not been as successful as anticipated due to lack of know-how and expertise and the fact that the end-users and future buyers are often not in the lead. From the supply side, a finding has been that there is a need for trusted demand: i.e. if a solution meets (unmet) demand, there needs to be a belief that the solution will be procured. SME's in particular, do not always have the time and resources (e.g. tender or business development team) and existing procurement processes do not really take this into account. Having university hospitals in the leading position will drive innovation from the demand side, enabling faster (digital) transformations in healthcare, whilst also developing trust with the supply side actors.
The PIPPI project aims to overcome these challenges by creating a cross-border Community of Practice (CoP) of major European university hospitals, bringing together experts from the demand side to identify common clinical needs for digital healthcare solutions, and prepare a cross-border PCP for a selected clinical need whilst also offering tailored assistance on procurement to other hospitals within and outside the CoP. By coming together through a cross-border Community of Practice (CoP) the project will focus on generating ideas, identifying, aligning and addressing the needs for innovation.
This novel approach will improve the operations of university hospitals, as well as assist in facilitating access and promoting collaboration with industry stakeholders across the EU. Whilst also creating a network that will identify other potential synergy effects in health & care research and innovation ecosystems.
The overall aim of the PIPPI project is aligned with the objective of the call: Digital health and care services – support for 1) strategy and (early) 2) adoption, namely to support the University hospitals in the creation of a common strategy and toolbox rrlated to improved care, related to digital care. Whilst also creating a network that will identify other potential synergy effects in health & care research and innovation ecosystems. To enable this outcome, a key focus in the PIPPI project will be to describe the value framework/proposition from different perspectives: patients, payers, clinician, society. It is also important to include into the framework a simple “business case” to exemplify for the stakeholders what the value for them is. In this way, any strategy developed will cover all relevant parameters (such as collection, use / exploitation, ownership, payment models etc.).
