Building Regional Health Care Networks in Europe (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, V. 67)

This book is the brain-child of a group of leading organisations which have been involved in major trials in the field of Regional Health Care Networks (RHCNs). These organisations - co-funded by the EU - have shared with one another, and now with the reader, their knowledge and experience of implementing RHCNs. They have reflected about pitfalls and obstacles, which have hindered until now the spread of such networks, and compiled their findings into this book. Their recommendations to decision makers in Health Care in order to succeed in the challenging task of implementing RHCN are clearly spelled out. The work gives an overview of the organisation of different health care systems across Europe to set the environment in which RHCNs have to be implemented. RHCNs are defined through their most prominent features and a common reference model is developed. The role that the EU has played in the promotion of RHCN is described and a comprehensive list of products and services currently available in Europe is drawn for most European countries. Market trends have been carefully analysed and current barriers to the full development of RHCN identified. The Report gives a list of recommendations to accelerate the evolution of RHCN and to ensure that they realise their full potential benefits. The Report represents an indispensable handbook for those who wish to implement RHCNs. It is an essential reading for anyone who is involved in the management of Health Care at local, regional or national level as well as for health professionals, who represent tomorrows RHCN users.