In December 2016 the European Commission awarded the Basque Country four stars as a “Reference Site”. This status is granted to Regions, Cities, Hospitals, Organisations or Health Services that implement a comprehensive and innovative approach to active and healthy ageing. Thus, the regions granted “Reference Site” status, commit to actively participate in the deployment and repeatability processes of their Good Practices, while supporting other regions that wish to implement these Good Practices.
Consequently, in 2016 the call for proposals was opened for grants supporting collaboration between Regions, also known as “Twinning”. In representation of the Basque Country, Kronikgune was awarded four projects, three as a reference site for risk stratification and one for patient empowerment.
The first action took place on 15 February, with a trip to Scotland by the Basque Delegation. Its purpose was to learn about the Innovative Good Practices regarding patient empowerment implemented in this region. Among other projects, they studied the “Living it up” programme and the digital project for Primary Care called GP.
“Living it up” was implemented in 2016. Thanks to this tool, the Scottish Healthcare system seeks to provide support to the patients in the management of their illness and help them change their lifestyle. It intends to promote the use of new technologies to improve their health and create a community in which each patient may share their experiences.
The Basque Country has several educational tools and programmes for patient empowerment, of which “Osasun Eskola” and “Paciente Activo” are great examples. These programmes seek to help chronic patients and their caregivers acquire knowledge and abilities related to their diseases and their management. They provide information and self-care empowerment, while promoting changes toward healthier lifestyles.
This collaboration with Scotland shall allow to improve and develop Programmes in both regions thanks to an exchange of knowledge and experiences.
If you want to know more about Twinning, clic here.
