New boost to integrating social and health care in Aran

Integrated Care Services of Aran have signed a collaboration agreement with the Intelligent Data Science and Artificial Intelligence research centre at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (IDEAI-UPC) and the TIC Salut Social Foundation to develop the strategic, functional and technological aspects of the Integrated Social and Health Home Care Programme of Aran. This integrated care plan is by Next Generation programme and involves these three organisations in order to operationalise data management and the planned information responding to tasks such as the configuration and deployment of the Knowledge Analysis Unit for stratification, early identification of situations of vulnerability, monitoring, follow-up of people and services, evaluation, planning and decision-making in relation to the health and wellbeing of the population of the Aran Valley.  

Karina Gibert,the director of IDEAI-UPC, highlighted that “the pioneering integration proposal for the social and health models provides a holistic view of people that makes it possible to take into account not only the symptoms of diseases, but the entire context of the individual to make more accurate assessments and increase the successes of health treatments and public health interventions, and build a friendlier relationship between the health and social system and users”. She also noted that “organising the data with the most modern technologies will enable us to learn from them with artificial intelligence techniques that, in the medium term, can help anticipate problems both for people and for the management of the health system itself, always from a scrupulously ethical perspective and with full privacy and security safeguards”.

To successfully tackle the challenges involved in the project, apart from the signed agreement, Integrated Care Services of Aran have created a network of collaboration and joint work between companies, academia, care organisations and citizens. This network strategy is aimed at promoting the development of joint projects, research and the continuous training of professionals. As the managing director, Jordi Vilana, stated “these synergies promote new ideas that drive the system towards innovation and excellence while reducing uncertainties”.  

The project is structured into three main work areas (modelling, data management and implementation of the integrated model) and is led by the Aran Valley. Apart from the TIC Salut Social Foundation and the IDEAI-UPC, the Unió Foundation is also participating as a leader in the field of modelling. According to Mr Vilana, “this ecosystem of alliances fosters the co-creation of value through networks of agents who work together, joining their abilities, to fulfil the strategic objectives for our region; it is a win-win situation”.   

Commitment to the future through the present 

Through this project, the Aran Valley is taking an innovative step towards more integrated and efficient health and social care. Under the slogan ‘Mos centram en tu, mos encuedam de tu’ (We focus on you, we take care of you), the region has created a pioneering model aimed at improving the population’s quality of life, optimising resources and sharing information between the health and social fields.  

Aran’s Integrated Care Model is based on the humanisation of care by putting people at the centre of processes, promoting inclusion, quality care and equal opportunities. This holistic approach improves the efficiency of service providers and makes it easier for professionals to gain a comprehensive view of situations that influence citizens’ health and wellbeing.  

One of the project’s objectives is to encourage participation and proactivity among all the care and professional levels. As the managing director of Care Services said, “it is necessary to know the needs of families and the community and, with the aid of technology, move towards predictive and more proactive models”. So one of the first measures in the transition towards a new integrated model is the creation of joint spaces for professionals from the two care areas and the reconfiguration of primary care teams, which will be made up of social workers, social educators, nurses and doctors.  

Full powers over health and social services 

The provision of integrated services in Aran is characterised by having a global vision that seeks to respond to the population’s different care needs. The region has had full powers over health and social services since 2001 and 2004, respectively. As the managing director of Care Services explains, this unified governance and funding through the General Council of Aran it is one of the keys to guaranteeing the resources necessary for the system’s sustainability and to work autonomously in integrated care.

• Nota de premsa

  • 268.2 Kb

    
  •