Euregio II

Solutions for improving health care cooperation in border regions

The project "Solutions for improving health care cooperation in border regions" (EUREGIO II) aims at supporting health and health related cross-border activities in border regions. It is a successor of the project "Evaluation of cross border activities in the European Union" (EUREGIO, 2004-2007) and complementary to the project "Health investments in Structural Funds 2000-2006: learning lessons to inform regions in the 2007-2013 period" (EUREGIO III). All projects have received funding under the Public Health Programme of the European Union.

As well as the national level, the regional level is highly relevant to master the challenges of population health and health services. Border regions are confronted with certain specific challenges (e.g. wage gaps, cost differentials, language barriers, etc.), moreover they are "practice laboratories" in which practical solutions for cooperation in cross-border health care between Member States are tested for the benefit of the health of the whole population.

The general objective of EUREGIO II project is then to stimulate and promote cross border cooperation in health care in border regions by fostering the usability of various existing instruments and methods, such as structural funds, Health Technology Assessment, indicators.

Therefore, the outputs of the project include:

• a handbook for the effective use of EU Structural Funds, especially those received under the INTERREG Iva programme, which supports activities in border regions (WP4 ‘Making effective use of the structural fund Interreg’);
• a guideline for the use of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) applications within the decision making processes in cross border regions (WP5 ‘Usage of generic HTA in cross-border cooperation’);
• a legal report on the effects of tort and data protection rights in the provision of cross border health care services (WP6 ‘Legal aspects of data/information exchange as well as liability rights in cross border cooperation’).

The expected outcomes comprise: supporting decision making and planning in the field of cross border health service structures; supporting the effectiveness and efficiency of health services in cross border regions, supporting the exchange of information and experiences on good practice and the establishment of networks between cross border health services, supporting the cooperation of health service organization in cross border regions.

Target groups are those with responsibilities for border regions and being (potentially) involved in the planning and realization of health and healthcare service related cross-border activities in border regions, especially (but not only) public health officials, health service organisation and health insurances.

Working package 5 "usage of generic HTA in cross-border cooperation"

Considering the resource constraints that Member States face and the rising range of expensive and sophisticated technologies available (pharmaceuticals, medical equipments, organizational and supportive systems,…) the Health Technology Assessment definitely represents today a very important tool both at a national and at local level, involving also an interest from the international community.

Cross-border regions are facing problems linked to patient mobility and workforce migration that primarily influence financial sustainability, requiring more cautious decisions on investments and resources allocation. For this reason, cross-border cooperation in health sector represents an important objective of European Union. Working together for a better evaluation and assessment of health technologies and medical devices is a way for cross-border regions to join forces and save money reaching better results.

The technical development of HTAs and the usage of HTAs reports by local and cross-border decision makers, as well as by healthcare providers would reduce the costs of the assessments, since expertise, resources, results and technologies could be gathered and would allow an increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of health services.

Hence, the general aims of the working package 5 of EUREGIO II project are: to support the realization of HTAs, to develop tools for their application in cross border regions and to demonstrate how new technologies can reasonably be included in the cooperation between neighboring countries, underlining the aspects that require particular attention. The specific objective is to test HTA in small-size settings with multiple health care systems. The related output will be a guideline, which will provide rules and indication for the use of HTA applications within the decision-making processes in cross border regions.

The scope of the working package will be reached through an analysis of the literature, highlighting the main promoting and hindering factors for the realization of HTA at a local level, focusing on cross border environment.

Then, an expert workshop will be organized to assess an HTA methodology (guideline) and modify it, keeping into account the literature results and the particular needs of cross border regions. In particular, the main elements to be considered when findings from national HTA are interpreted and applied in a local, cross-border context will be highlighted.

Thus, the shaped guideline will be tested in some hospitals located in two or more cross-border regions. An HTA expert will coordinate and support the work in close cooperation with the hospitals involved and on this basis will modify and correct the guideline.

Activities

Hospitals in the 27
EU Member States

Quality of care

Human resources

Public health

Hospital, health care
and internal market

e-Health

Cross-border
co-operation
HOPE activities
Euregio I
Euregio II

Green hospitals

Networking