As a brief introduction into the subject, the Joint Action Plan is designed with the overall objective of catalyzing and driving strategic initiatives that can ensure effective and sustainable digital health, taking into account the role of health focused DIHs. The development of the JAP aims to identify strategic lines of work and define specific actions that can improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes by promoting digital health and the shift towards a more preventive, predictive, personalised and participatory approach to medicine.
The JAP comprises three main strategic lines, based on the EU health priorities and on a common set of priorities, challenges and needs of health sector stakeholders identified during the initial research and dialogue phase of the DIHsP4_Medicine project. Within each strategic line, two joint long-term programmes or flagship initiatives are designed for future implementation. They provide a practical roadmap and guidance for implementation by the consortium, other DIHs and other innovation ecosystems willing to implement, while also offering insights to public authorities involved in strengthening regional collaborative ecosystem challenges in this context.
SL1 highlights the importance of networking and ecosystem building in driving transformative changes and innovation in the healthcare sector, particularly in the context of the digital revolution accelerated by the pandemic. Collaboration among stakeholders, including academia, industry, policymakers and patients, is essential for identifying opportunities, securing funding, ensuring compliance with regulations, and prioritizing patient-centric approaches in digital health solutions.
The concept of P4 Medicine (Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory) aims to reshape healthcare relying very much on new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, telemedicine and IoT. Networking facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration, data integration, validation, research, cost-effectiveness, education and real-world implementation of P4 approaches. Initiatives such as the establishment of a European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) network across the EU territory aim to foster collaboration, innovation, and economic benefits across Europe, emphasizing the importance of cross-national networks and thematic-focused initiatives. The Flagship initiatives proposed in the DIHsP4_Medicine JAP include building a network of DIHs for P4 Medicine and developing a European Catalogue of DIHs' flagship services for Digital Health to further promote networking and ecosystem building in European healthcare innovation.
The SL1 is composed of two Flagship Initiatives:
Flagship Initiative 1: Building a Network of DIHs for P4 Medicine
As a continuation of the DIHsP4_Medicine project, the partners and their regional stakeholders expressed a clear interest in the existence of such a network to ensure the activities and services described in this JAP. Therefore, the objectives of this Flagship Initiative are to (1) create, (2) consolidate and (3) expand a network of DIHs with a common purpose: to promote the digital P4 paradigm in healthcare across Europe, making healthcare more predictive, preventive, participatory and personalized thanks to the use of digital technologies
Flagship Initiative 2: Establishing a European Catalogue of DIHs' Flagship Services for Digital Health
Flagship Initiative 2 focuses on establishing a European Catalogue of DIHs' Flagship Services for Digital Health, emphasizing international collaboration, specialization and a data-driven approach. The initiative entails designing a user-centric platform, mobilizing resources, categorizing services, launching the platform, attracting providers, promoting it to end users and assessing its impact. The goal is to create a marketplace facilitating access to specialized digital health services for both providers (EDIHs) and clients, fostering financial gains for providers and tailored support for clients. Success metrics include platform functionality, client uptake and continuous improvement based on feedback, ensuring a dynamic ecosystem for digital health services across Europe.