Project
Objectives of the SPEX services
Today in most European countries there is no or limited direct link between Health Centres of Excellence (HCE) and peripheral healthcare structures. In a certain number of cases this results in patients and relatives unnecessarily undertaking long and expensive travels in order to visit an HCE, also when they could have been equally well treated locally. Consulting patients with relatively ordinary health conditions also takes valuable specialists’ time away from serious cases and research activities which represent their mission and would benefit the society at large. SPEX wants to market validate a new co-operative care model which makes better use of the clinical competences available in the HCEs and the healthcare peripheral structures and thus:
- increases the capability of peripheral structures to cope with patients affected by less severe pathologies;
- relieves the burden on HCEs thus enabling them to focus on their primary care and research mission;
- allows patients easier and cheaper access to high-quality healthcare services.
In order to reach the mentioned goals, SPEX intends to create a telematic network able to connect HCEs and peripheral structures with one another.
Through this network,
- the peripheral structures will get from the HCE:
- the HCE will:
- medical knowledge, clinical guidelines and professional training through eLearning activities;
- support in their care activity through tele-consultation and tele-counselling facilities (e.g. second opinion);
- collaboration in the management of patients under protocol through protocol-oriented shared patient records;
- accreditation and branding, to certify the clinical level of the peripheral structure and enhance its image in its neighbourhood.
- expand its geographical coverage and its catchment area;
- rationalise the use of its resources;
- generate extra revenues (through fees collected from the peripheral structures) to be re-invested in medical research and further professional improvement of its clinical staffs.
The SPEX idea aims to apply to healthcare a Network of Excellence model, which has given excellent results in the commercial marketplace because of its clever blend of central planning and branding, and local entrepreneurship.The technology needed to implement the hub & spoke network is available from the market, is well mastered by the SPEX technical partners and has been tested in previous field trials.
