More information
Description
The project was intended to equalise to equalize access to and improve healthcare in Poland through telemedicine and e-health, focusing on the poorest groups and remote areas. Seven models and standards of telemedicine procedures (including in cardiology, geriatrics, psychiatry (including mental health), obstetrics, diabetology, palliative care and chronic diseases) was be developed. The chosen models have been tested as pilot projects by supra-regional hospitals and institutes, chosen in the open call. The pilots have been evaluated by an independent entity to identify successful ones to be financed from public sources in the future. The project delivered analysis, technical assistance, training and awareness-raising including, inter alia, the following activities:
- Analyses and reports on the possibilities of adapting the Norwegian experience to the Polish ground and developing models of telemedicine solutions to be tested under the projects in the open call
- IT-training for doctors in the most deprived areas, including on software specific for telemedicine and e-health, and e-training on mental health: 756 medical staff members were trained.
- Nationwide awareness raising campaign on telemedicine and mental health, prophylaxis and vaccinations. The number of viewers of the second phase of the campaign reached more than 27 million people.
- Webinars for patients with specialists dedicated to prophylaxis and treatment of certain diseases
- Conference summing up the results of implementation of pilot/model projects
- Dissemination workshops on telemedicine and e-health pilot/model projects
- Study visits
- Evaluation of the telemedicine models and their application
- Information and promotion materials, including materials for the promoters of the projects implemented under the open call
Bilateral Platform for Cooperation, education and training activities
Summary of project results
The aim of this project, and the programme as a whole, is “Reducing social inequalities in health”. The objective is intended to be obtained by equalizing access to health services. There is a group of people in Poland that requires immediate support in this regard, due to their socio-economic status. They live in non-urbanized areas, located several dozen km from therapeutic/diagnostic centres, and obtain low incomes. Travelling to visit medical specialists is difficult or even impossible, due to lack of funds and time. Thus, these people abandon the diagnosis/treatment process, despite clear recommendations given to them by family clinics/GP. In addition, the healthcare system in Poland is struggling with the availability problem, regarding doctors of various specialties, which makes waiting lists for specialists longer. The pre-defined project aims to improve the situation of Poles and enable them to have better access to medical care. The activities will address the poorest groups and, to a lesser extent, others and will be based on telemedicine solutions, where telemedicine is defined as “providing medical services and data with use of telecommunication technology (internet, remote communications). Telemedicine covers also mHealth – mobile healthcare i.e. environment that enables practicing healthcare”.
The project aimed to contribute to the reduction of the cost of medical procedures and the burden on patients, as well as to increase the availability of medical services. The project focuses on developing telemedicine models in 7 areas: cardiology, geriatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, diabetology, palliative care and chronic diseases, which could broaden the range of telemedicine procedures covered by public financing and increase the use of telemedicine potential in Poland.
The project included, among others, the following activities:
With the cooperation of Polish and Norwegian experts, telemedicine models were developed in the fields of cardiology, geriatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, diabetology and chronic diseases. In addition, in the field of palliative care, a report was developed on the status of palliative care in Poland and the EU, as well as potential telemedicine and e-health solutions to be applied in this field. The developed models have been tested in pilot projects by supra-regional hospitals and institutes throughout the country, selected in the open call. The solutions proposed by the experts cover among others: telemonitoring of patients with heart failure, care of patients with geriatric diseases (sarcopenia, malnutrition, frailty syndrome), telemonitoring in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, use of video consultation in diagnosis and treatment of depression. Furthermore, the evaluation of the pilot projects have been conducted. The final result of the project was the recommendations on the possibility of public financing of the most cost-effective services: cardiology, psychiatry, obstetrics
The project also included educational and informational activities: training for doctors on the use of telemedicine solutions, webinars for patients andand medical staff, a nationwide raising-awareness campaign on the opportunities offered by telemedicine and e-health solutions as regards preventive care, mental health and vaccinations. A series of workshops and training sessions was organised to disseminate knowledge on telemedicine addressed to medical personnel; activities of an informational and promotional nature were implemented, including, among others, an information campaign aimed primarily at promotion of the innovative nature of the project, but also of telemedicine and e-health solutions.
It should also be highlighted that the implementation of the project took place mostly during the COVID19 pandemic, which made it impossible to carry out numerous activities such as travel (e.g., the Norwegian partners'' inability to come to the opening conference or in-person meetings). The Beneficiary and the Partner took all possible steps to implement the project despite the circumstances, which were unfavourable and long-lasting, and carried out alternative activities (e.g., production of videos, regular remote contact), but this resulted in more savings created in the project.
In addition, another range of activities named as the Bilateral Platform for Cooperation was conducted within the project:
- A series of 5 online Open Days meetings were attended by a total of nearly 190 people, including members of the Project Team, representatives of the Program Operator, the National Contact Point, the National Health Fund, medical universities and other institutions operating in the health sector from Poland and Norway, as well as representatives of the Program partner from Norway and potential beneficiaries of competitive projects. The meetings covered topics such as: “Use of Technology in Health Care,” ''Digital Mental Health Services,'' ''Social Media and Health,'' ''AI in Health Care,'' and “Digital exclusion.”
- Other materials worked out within bilateral cooperation:
- an informational video titled. “Municipality of Kvænangen- Remote following up” produced by the Norwegian Center for e-Health Research https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGmThsq7xuY;
- a development and publication of materials to be used in the project as support for the Experts https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35612254/;
- a series of 5 videos on the principles of video consultations;
- a website dedicated to virtual study visits, where information, web articles and videos with examples of digitalization of health care services in different parts of Norway https://ehealthresearch.no/studytour are presented.
- Study visits:
- in Norway - a visit with the participation of 10 experts from Poland and 2 representatives of the MoH in October 2023 (presentation of innovative solutions and good practices in health care, as examples for the development of telemedicine and e-health in Poland, exchange of knowledge and experience between Poland and Norway);
- in Poland - study visit in April 2024 with the participation of 11 experts from Norwegian Partner institutions (including meetings in entities implementing pilot projects carried out under the competitive part of the “Health” program, participation in a conference on project implementation activities, discussion of further development of cooperation between Poland and Norway).
- in Poland - study visit in April 2024 with the participation of 11 experts from Norwegian Partner institutions (including meetings in entities implementing pilot projects carried out under the competitive part of the “Health” program, participation in a conference on project implementation activities, discussion of further development of cooperation between Poland and Norway).
- E-learning platform
Norwegian partner, in the course of expanding its activities, has created an e-learning platform, with research and resources developed during the project, as well as the output of Norwegian experts, available to health care professionals both in Poland and Norway and worldwide.
- 7 videos of the project
In addition, the cooperation included the production and translation of 7 videos of the project based on recent research conducted by the Norwegian Center for e-Health Research with topics closely related to the models developed, as well as the objectives and assumptions of the project-“Social media chat bot”, implementation of evaluation processes, video consultation, cooperation between GPs, use of artificial intelligence solutions in health, digital exclusion, a video summarizing the cooperation in the project.
- Webinars:
An external contractor, selected through a tender procedure, conducted a series of 12 webinars on mental health and other health issues. The webinars were conducted between April 19-26, 2024. The recordings of the webinars are available on the Contractor''s platform until the end of April 2026
During regular meetings with the Partner organized remotely, the Partner shared its experience in the preparation of e-learning platforms, implementation of training courses for different audiences, as well as conducting webinars and other educational activities. The issues discussed were useful in the development of training content for medical personnel and the implementation of webinars.
The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the e-Health Center, conducted a series of trainings - 3 rounds on Electronic Medical Records/Medical Events, Internet Patient Account, gabinet.gov.pl service, digital accessibility, telemedicine tools - in which 756 medical staff members were trained. All participants during the trainings and by email after the trainings were asked to fill out questionnaires. In the end, 455 participants completed the questionnaires. T
The contract with the contractor to prepare materials for the PDP1 project was signed in June 2022. The beneficiary worked with the Communications Office and the contractor. The contract included 15- and 30-second radio and TV spots, a film about the PDP1 project, animations and infographics. Two press articles were also prepared and appeared in the national press - Gazeta Prawna “Norwegian funds are support for Polish health care” and “Support for the development of telemedicine in Poland”. A press article was also prepared for the Internet portal Rynek Zdrowia titled “Norwegian support for Polish (tele)medicine”. This was followed by the broadcast of spots on radio and television in October-November 2022. The number of recipients of the first phase of the campaign reached more than 13 million
The second phase of the PDP1 project''s information and awareness-raising campaign included the broadcast of 30- and 15-second spots on radio and television. The number of viewers of the second phase of the campaign reached more than 27 million people. At the same time, animations and infographics were published on MoH''s social media to inform people about telemedicine and e-health solutions. Thanks to the reach of social media, the activities are addressed to a wide audience.
On 14. February 2024, the Norwegian partner organized “The Poland Project Film Festival”, which was also remotely attended by representatives of PDP1. During the meeting, the audiovisual achievements produced in the project up to date were presented: a film about the PDP1 project and a TV spot, prepared as part of a campaign to raise awareness of telemedicine and e-health solutions, 6 films prepared by the Norwegian Partner''s Team, which were created in the project within the Bilateral Platform for Cooperation, were also presented. Thanks to the event, a wider audience was able to learn about the activities implemented in the project.
Information about the project is posted on the portal maintained by the MoH zdrowie.gov.pl, under the telemedicine project information tab: http://zdrowie.gov.pl/fn/strona-993-projekt_predefiniowany_telemedycyna.html.
The project focused on developing telemedicine solutions and due to its innovative character and close collaboration with Norwegian Partner - Norwegian Centre for e-Health Research can be considered as an example of best practice in the field of telemedicine and e-health. COVID-19 pandemic has shown that telemedicine may contribute to strengthening of the healthcare sector and help both doctors and patients in difficult times.
Developing telemedicine in cardiology, geriatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, diabetology, palliative care and chronic diseases is an opportunity to improve the health situation in Poland. The chosen fields of intervention were partly determined by the severity of a given problem and its influence on public health (such as cardiology and cardiovascular diseases being among main causes of death in Poland), and secondly by the possibilities of development of telemedicine and e-health tools in a given branch of medicine: some of them develop faster than the others and are more useful for patients.
Taking into account the expected the long-term impact of the project we should concentrate on the selected 3 models: cardiology, obstetrics, psychiatry. The 3 models present the greatest potential for possible inclusion in the basket of guaranteed medical services. Due to this fact, thematic proposals were submitted to the Agency of Technology Assessment and Tariffication for analysis and recommendations of further steps. We believe that the project will improve the situation of Poles and enable them to have better access to medical care soon. Furthermore the educational and informational activities carried out in the project shouldn’t be omitted to mention as factors playing an important role in personal development and consciousness of Poles,
Objective of the project (Programme result)
Indicators
Verification method
Baseline
Value achieved
Target
% of indicator execution
Reducing health inequalities
Number of medical staff who have improved their telemedicine and e-health skills as a result of training
Survey among participants
0
756
750
100,80%
Number of telemedicine and e-health models submitted to the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System (AOTMiT) for funding verification
Confirmation of submission
0
3
3
100%
Results (Programme results within a given result)
Indicators
Verification method
Baseline
Value achieved
Target
% of indicator execution
Improving access to health services (telemedicine and e-health)
Number of telemedicine and e-health models developed
Model descriptions submitted by experts
0
7
7
100%
Number of workshops promoting the results of telemedicine and eHealth pilot projects
Attendance lists
0
3
3
100%
Number of campaigns carried out
Audiovisual materials and printouts of materials, created at the request of the beneficiary during the campaign
0
1
1
100%
Number of campaign recipients
Reach report prepared by the campaign contractor
0
41 634 132
1 000 000
4163,41%
Summary of bilateral results
It is important to mention that not only cooperation dedicated to development of telemedicine models was significant. Also the whole scope of activities named as the Bilateral Platform for Cooperation gave opportunity to collect and manage many insights, based on interviews with researchers at universities and hospitals, practitioners and patients, on how technological tools and digital home care change the healthcare system, ensuring a more personalized and holistic approach. Also within the project additional values should be taken into consideration such as the discussion on how the health services can benefit from using AI to improve prevention, prediction, diagnosis and treatment. Study visits also created a space to discuss of further development of cooperation between Poland and Norway. Even though the project was finalized, Polish and Norwegian experts carry on their cooperation and are looking for different areas where so far gained experience and knowledge can be helpful and worth to develop.