“Vlaanderen in Actie” (Flanders in Action) is the Flemish Government’s ambitious project for the future. One of the main pillars of Flanders in Action is Flanders’ Care, the project for innovative breakthroughs in all types of care. Meanwhile, several policy measures of Flanders’ Care are ready to be implemented in cooperation with the care sector, the knowledge institutions and industry. In order to guarantee the involvement of and steering by these stakeholders, Flanders’ Care is starting a Care Innovation Platform today. This steering group of the Flanders’ Care platform advises the competent Ministers. The chairman of the steering group is Johan Hellings, CEO of ICURO, the Flemish umbrella organisation for hospitals. Today, Flanders’ Care informs the stakeholders about how the authorities intend to realise breakthroughs with them. Finally, as of today the website is online as well: www.flanderscare.be.
With Flanders’ Care the Flemish Government seeks to use the revolutionary medical-technological progress for the benefit of the patients and the industrial marketing of Flemish innovation. The mission of Flanders’ Care is to improve the provision of quality care in a demonstrable and innovative fashion, and to promote corporate social responsibility in the care economy.
This innovation should be the result of cross-fertilisation between care centres, knowledge centres, practitioners in the care sector, and industry. Each of these parties is represented in the Care Innovation Platform. Flanders’ Care must effect a true revolution in the care technological provision and turn Flanders into an internationally renowned innovative care region.
Evolving care
Like elsewhere in the Western world, the demographic evolution is posing a huge challenge to Flanders. By the year 2030, more than 25% of the Flemish population will be aged over 65. Ageing also takes place among the elder population itself: elder people continue to grow older and older; the number of very old people (aged over 80) is increasing the fastest. According to the National Institute of Statistics, Flanders will be facing, by 2050, a tripling of the number of people aged 80 to 100 and even a tenfold increase in the number of centenarians. The number of young people is declining and will continue to do so. In the future a smaller group of people will no doubt have to carry substantially more burdens. The ageing, ‘silvering’ and dejuvenation processes have only just started.
In addition, the technological advances offer more and more opportunities. Not only care and medicine are undergoing substantial changes, patients are evolving as well. People with disabilities are increasingly looking to connect to society. Tomorrow’s care recipients want to participate in society in a useful manner. Factors such as mobility and social involvement are systematically growing in importance. Patients will occupy a central position in tomorrow’s care.
These findings pose a huge challenge as well as hold opportunities. These opportunities are there thanks to the technology and for the benefit of the people. Flanders’ Care focuses on areas in care for which the Flemish authorities are competent and can make a difference. In other words, areas that will gain significance in the future. Prevention and home care, for instance.
Flanders’ Care opts for better, accurate, preventive healthcare. To that end it applies assistive technology, telemedicine, ICT in care, translational medicine, and the latest diagnostics and medical imaging. The Flemish technology provision can provide a response to this. It has a huge potential in care which is underused for the moment.
The approach
Up till now, the Flemish Government has taken measures in Flanders’ Care which are to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship in care at each innovation stage. In other words, from the very first idea to the international marketing of a product or service. The measures form a coherent whole addressing the needs arising in care through innovation more efficiently. The aim is not to commercialize care, but to spur economic development for the benefit of care.
Flanders’ Care follows an approach consisting of four stages: research and development, demonstration, implementation, and international valorisation. Two initiatives that exist throughout these different stages are the organisation of an impulsloket (impulse office) and the award of the Flanders’ Care label.
Research and development should generate innovation that will make a difference tomorrow and will stimulate Flanders’ competitiveness in the long term. A match should be made here between what industry has to offer and the applications required by the care sector. This match takes place in an innovation platform where all stakeholders meet to design solutions that are care proof.
In the second stage each project must undergo a reality check. The question raised is: what is the impact of innovation on the effectiveness, efficiency and safety and security of the care in a real situation. A broader application can only be considered when we can be sure about this. In order to stimulate this exercise into the impact of innovation, care organisations are guided towards the proper public bodies.
During the implementation stage entrepreneurship is taken to a higher level in the care sector by injecting seed capital. Entrepreneurs who are prepared to initiate projects with this sector are of vital importance to disseminate technologies and introduce them on the free market. The availability of properly trained staff is raised here as well.
All these efforts can only be really successful when they have an international finality. The quality of care is measured internationally. In addition, the local market is too small for many applications to become profitable activities. For this reason, internationalisation is an important criterion within Flanders’ Care. Within this framework an international event is planned in 2014 which is to enable Flemish organisations to promote their provision internationally under the auspices of Flanders’ Care.
Concrete measures
The proposed measures relate to innovation, enterprise and care. General measures are also introduced, such as the impulsloket (impulse office) and the Flanders’ Care label.
Impulse office
Flanders’ Care covers a multitude of initiatives in various public institutions. For this reason, an impulse office was set up. The impulse office aims to guide care institutions, knowledge institutions and/or companies to the proper support and in this way have them make more efficient use of the potential of innovation in care which is still underused today. To the authorities this implies intensive cooperation with the Enterprise Agency, IWT and Flanders Investment and Trade, amongst others. The impulse office has been opened on 1 October of this year.
Flanders’ Care label
Initiatives or projects that meet the criteria of Flanders’ Care can obtain a Flanders’ Care label. This label is a hallmark. It means that a project generates qualitative added value in care and has economic potential.
The label is to encourage entrepreneurs into subscribing to the philosophy of Flanders’ Care and adopting an innovating and enterprising profile in care.
Innovation
Fundamental research: nanomedicine
By doing fundamental research one can make a difference at the international level in the long term. The Flemish Government wants Flanders to excel in nanomedical research. This research combines nanotechnology with biomedical insights and may lead to new breakthroughs in the field of neuroelectronics, for instance. We especially want scientific and technological insights to be converted into better care. IMEC, K.U.Leuven and VIB work together with the Centre for Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF) which performs pioneering research. By gaining an insight into how the human brain works, they aim to diagnose and develop therapies for brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.
Translational research
Translational research bridges the gap between the health care provider at the bedside of the patient, the researcher in the laboratory and the entrepreneur who valorises the acquired knowledge in usable technologies and treatments. For instance, research on biological material of patients will lead to a better diagnostics and treatment of diabetes or cancers. In order to promote translational research, the Flemish Government already established the Medical Innovation Centre.
Another measure is introduced as well: from now on, the support from IWT for translational biomedical research is now also available for prevention projects. Prevention is mainly a Flemish competence. Good cooperation between various policy areas helps them to seize opportunities.
Innovative procurement
Innovative procurement is a recent instrument which encourages the authorities and industry through IWT to develop an innovative provision for public purposes. A first initiative in care is a substantially improved eye screening.
The technique was developed in cooperation with the Child and Family Agency and has a significant impact in the field of prevention. Thanks to the early detection of a so-called lazy eye, we can for instance prevent subsequent social handicaps.
Meanwhile, the Agency for Care and Health is developing a second project for ICT in care, together with the sector.
Open Innovation Platform
Collaboration between the different actors (care institutions, knowledge institutions, companies, authorities) is of crucial importance for the efficient introduction of innovation. Therefore, it is considered necessary to create an environment in which the various actors can meet and where insights can be exchanged in a goal-oriented manner. This presupposes a clear vision on possible cooperation and well-defined agreements on the conditions under which the exchange of information can take place. That is why Flanders’ Care will take the initiative to establish an Open Innovation Platform.
Enterprise
Seed capital for care
Entrepreneurs and capital are scarce in the care sector. For this reason, the Participatie Maatschappij Vlaanderen (Participation Company Flanders) will make available seed capital to start-ups and very young companies that aim to provide innovative products and services for care in Flanders. In consultation with the care sector investments are checked against the criteria for quality of care. Care institutions can also make use of this regulation by participating in a commercial entity. In Flanders’ Care the authorities opt for a fully-fledged fund that amounts to 20 million Euros.
Incubators
Incubators have already proved their usefulness in supporting young companies. Such support may also be useful for early stage projects from Flanders’ Care. The projects benefit from the proximity of professional management and from other companies. In addition, an incubator gives entrepreneurs visibility in a new market. This possibility is currently under examination.
Internationalisation in general
With respect to internationalisation, Flanders Investment and Trade will support the care sector by extending the reach of its core activities:
- Information task for the initiators
- Customised service for companies
- Support in concrete initiatives with export potential
- Specific aid to enterprises that invest in developing countries.
Two concrete initiatives were already approved to give greater publicity to Flanders’ Care within the FIT channels:
- Wereldwijs Week in September 2010: information about Flanders’ Care as “spearhead” sector in Flanders
- Flemish Economic Representations abroad: Including the promotion of Flanders’ Care as one of the tasks of the Flemish Economic Representations
International event
In 2014, the Flemish Government will organise an international event on technology and care. First, the provision with the greatest opportunities at the international level must be highlighted. Technological spearhead areas are in any case assistive technology, ICT in care, telemedicine, diagnostics and medical imaging. The event will be a showcase for the unique competencies which Flanders can boast in (health) care. Naturally, the final commercial use of innovations is the responsibility of the companies. Hence, their involvement in each stage of the process is essential. The Flemish Government wants to win over their umbrella organisations and the representatives of care institutions to a faster coordination and the integration of Flanders’ Care into their own international strategy.
Care
Demonstration projects
The goal of a demonstration project is to show the added value in terms of care and economic progression. The innovation which Flanders’ Care aims at must generate a higher quality of care and provide the prospect of rollout in Flanders and of international valorisation. This means that Flanders’ Care takes the practical needs of a care institution as the basis.
Impact measurement and benchmarking, and in many cases also partnering, are important to create knowledge that is subsequently to be protected. Demonstration projects will be selected and supported via a call system. The first call is envisaged for December 2010.
European cooperation
The objectives of this network are:
- To exchange experiences and ideas about policy measures
- To avoid technology push
- To promote the involvement of end users
- Benchmarking between regions
- To develop monitoring tools
- To create mutual synergies
- Between policy instruments (such as capital funds)
- To have an impact on European policy
- Technology standards
- Ethical challenges
- Financing
- Structural cooperation between regions.
Accreditation
In view of the international valorisation of the quality of our hospitals and in the light of the European Directive on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare that was adopted in principle by the European Commission on 8 June 2010, Flanders’ Care is working towards an accreditation of hospitals in Flanders. Hospitals can voluntarily adopt a new supervisory model for the hospital sector which is founded on a synergy between the public inspectorate and external (accreditation) partners. In consultation with the sector, the Agency for Care and Health and the Welfare, Public Health and Family Inspectorate, activity clusters will be developed which will be eligible for accreditation by external organisations on the basis of set quality standards. Internationally validated quality indicators which make it possible to monitor the results of the provided intramural care, must allow the performance of our care institutions to be checked against an international context. The working group which is to tackle this will start its activities in September 2010.
Care for talent
The sector is facing the growing challenge of matching the care provision and care needs. The degree of urgency varies according to the discipline and professional group. The greatest imbalances between supply and demand mainly exist for nurses, caregivers and medical disciplines, such as (child) psychiatrists, emergency doctors, and within a number of years also general practitioners.
Essential elements in this are:
- To attract new talent to be able to keep up with the demographic evolution and the increasing care demand or to ensure sufficient inflow through promotion, guidance and training.
- To make optimal use of the available competencies and to align the care provision with the care needs.
- To limit the outflow through a retention policy.
These problems will be discussed during the First Line Health Conference (December 2010). For nurses, care providers and caregivers we refer to the concept paper Werk maken van werk in the zorgsector which is available at www.ministerjovandeurzen.be.
Conclusion
With Flanders’ Care the Flemish Government wants to invest resolutely in innovation and enterprise to meet the great challenges in care. It wants to grasp the opportunities created by these challenges. This should not only result in a ‘whitening’ of the economy and in support to the care system, but in a better life for anyone who is currently receiving care or may do so at some time in the future.
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