Network collaboration in healthcare
There are many developments in the healthcare sector: the focus is increasingly shifting to prevention and new technologies are opening up almost continuously. It is expected that all these developments will contribute to the creation of optimal care, or rather a maximally healthy population. It is therefore important as a healthcare institution to be able to respond properly to these developments. But how do you do that? By seeking collaboration within your network, the flexibility of your organization increases, giving you more opportunities to keep up with these developments. In this insight, we provide you with an explanation of what network collaboration in healthcare entails and in which developments this can play a major role. Finally, we explain an example of a network collaboration that has been realized within the Living Lab eTransfer programme.
Network collaboration is collaboration between different links within the same chain. The idea is that more can be achieved together than can be achieved individually and that optimal integral processes are created by working together. Network collaboration also plays a role in healthcare. By collaborating on, for example, management and policy, not only does a more effective process arise, the demand of the person requiring care also takes center stage.
Right care, in the right place and at the right time
According to the Ministry of Health, Welfare & Sport, network collaboration in healthcare contributes to the right care, in the right place and at the right time. This involves collaboration between different care providers, both in primary and secondary care. Think, for example, of a collaboration between a specialist doctor and a home care nurse. The person in need of care is central here: what is the right care for this person in need of care, where is the right place to provide the care and with which practitioner in the network does this fit best?
Experimental garden eTransfer
A good example of a network collaboration between different healthcare institutions is the Experimental garden eTransfer in which De Zorgcircle, Omring, Dijklander Hospital and Noordwest Hospital Group participated. These healthcare organizations have jointly launched a program to digitally transfer patient data. A person requiring care provides the necessary information to the first practitioner once; this is shared with the care institutions required for those requiring care. The program also includes that placement requests within the network are organized digitally, providing insight into the capacity within the entire network without having to contact them by phone or email. The pilot of the eTransfer Testing Ground has been successfully implemented and the options for a follow-up are being explored.
This Living Lab is part of the InZicht program of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to accelerate secure and unambiguous digital data exchange in long-term care.
Prevention: care at the right time
Network collaboration such as the eTransfer Living Lab can also play a major role in prevention. Due to the digital transfer of patient information within the network collaboration, the current status of a person requiring care is clear to all care providers involved. For example; By having a home care nurse preventively monitor a chronic patient, possibly using an e-health device that allows this to be done remotely, abnormalities can be identified early, sometimes even before a person requiring care has experienced this abnormality himself. Early identification by the nurse and passing this on to the specialist doctor prevents a more serious situation. Network collaboration is of great importance for this to run smoothly.
DOWNLOAD
We have expressed the optimal effect of network collaboration in maturity levels. In our additional insight, in addition to further explaining the above possibilities of network collaboration, we will discuss the maturity levels of network collaboration and the associated growth model. Download it here without any obligation!
Nederlands 
English (UK) 
Deutsch 
Français