Overall description
SPEX
SPEX proposes a solution based on the creation of a network of healthcare outposts centred around a Centre of Excellence for a given specialty to improve the continuity of care offered to its clients and the case mix that the Centre handle directly. This model of healthcare delivery network, that we will call from now on a Network of Excellence, relies on a hub & spoke telematic network, in which the Centre of Excellence plays the role of hub and the healthcare outpost that of spokes. The Centre of Excellence and the outposts or “Points of Care” collaborate within a contractual framework that is being currently defined. The contractual framework must guarantee that rights and duties of the various subjects within the Network of Excellence and of the Points of Care and that the domains of responsibility of the two are clearly defined to avoid gaps, overlapping or cannibalisation of business to the detriment of one of the parties.
The “Points of Care” are in principle existing public and private healthcare outlets, which, in the SPEX model, are trained and accredited by the Centre of Excellence for a given specialty and are given access, via a variety of services, to the specialist knowledge of the Centre of Excellence. It cannot be excluded that in same cases new outlets will be created to complete the coverage of a territory or to prime-pump the process of creating the Network but this is considered an exception rather than the rule.
The Network of Excellence model creates a win-win situation where the Centre of Excellence gains control of its destiny while the Point of Care improves its image and reputation. This cannot fail to increase the patient catchment ability of both either in quantitative or qualitative terms or in both.
In the logic of the Network of Excellence model, the Centre of Excellence, in exchange for a fee, “certifies” the clinical quality of the Point of Care, gives it the authorisation to use its “brand” and provides it with a number of services centred around:
- Professional development of medical personnel (through eLearning applications but also through “traditional” face-to-face training activities) leading to the fast spread of medical knowledge and early adoption of innovative diagnostic and treatment techniques;
- Sharing of clinical guidelines, clinical protocols and patient records;
- Remote consultancy services on specific cases through second opinion and interactive tele-consultation applications.
