German-Dutch cooperation: Using medical resources effectively, safely and across borders
If nothing else, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that public health does not stop at the border. That's why, with a grant of around 1.5 million euros from the European Interreg funding program, a team of Dutch and German experts, including those from medicine, are working on improving cross-border cooperation in the healthcare system and thus creating a robust, resilient healthcare system in the region. This is the German clinical partner of the Euregio project BRIDGE, which will have started in spring 2024.
The BRIDGE project supports resource pooling in the health sector across borders and improves its governance. Public health does not stop at the border, as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated. And yet, hospitals close to the border face the challenge of providing high-quality care with limited resources. That is where resource pooling becomes crucial.
Resource pooling encompasses a set of tools and strategies for coordinating and sharing resources within and between organizations. Organizations pool resources to reduce gaps between the resources that they have and services they need to provide. Furthermore, resource pooling reduces waste by making it unnecessary for organizations to stockpile resources. Through resource pooling, hospitals along the German-Dutch border can rapidly obtain necessary resources in the case of a sudden emergency. For patients, this means shorter distances and faster access to specialized care. For the region, it means healthier citizens and more resilient communities.
BRIDGE identifies opportunities for coordinated cross-border resource pooling, develops and implements a digital platform to facilitate this and provides input for relevant policy decisions.
The joint Kick-off was at the University of Twente on 11 April 2024.
Project partners: University Twente (Lead), Universität Münster, Medisch Spectrum Twente, Bureau Acute Zorg Euregio, Streekziekenhuis Koningin Beatrix Winterswijk, EUREGIO, Kreis Borken, Kreisverwaltung Steinfurt, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen / Cross-border Institute of Healthcare Systems and Prevention (CBI), Ärztekammer Westfalen-Lippe, St. Antonius-Hospital, Gronau GmbH, NovioQ, Province Overijssel, Universiteit Maastricht (ITEM), AOK - Die Gesundheitskasse (Stabsstelle Europa)
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Sources:
- UKM: https://www.ukm.de/aktuelles/deutsch-niederlaendische-zusammenarbeit-medizinische-ressourcen-effektiv-sicher-und-grenzueberschreitend-einsetzen
- INTERREG: https://deutschland-nederland.eu/en/projects/bridge/
- PICTURE: University of Twente
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