With great success, the Greek delegation, consisting of members of the Administration of the 7th Healthcare Region of Crete and of the Institute of Computer Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH-ICS) to the Basque Country of Spain, was completed on the 15th and the 16th of May 2024. The visit took place in the frame of the HEALTHIER Project, which is coordinated by the Center for eHealth Applications and Services of FORTH-ICS.
The educational visit in the Basque Country was coordinated by Biosistemak Institute for Health Systems Research, together with the Directorate General of Osakidetza and the OSI Bilbao-Basurtov Hospital. The purpose of the visit was the transfer of knowledge from the health system of the Basque Country Osakidetza to the 7HRC about actions in health education and empowerment for citizens.
During the visit, health organization representatives presented their strategies for integrated healthcare, for the empowerment of patients and citizens and primary care from a community perspective, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and experience. They also presented various programs and services available in Osakidetza, aiming at empowering citizens to manage their health, along with the digital tools and platforms used to collect data, analyze results, and monitor programs.
The Crete delegation had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the development and offerings of educational materials available at Osasun Eskola. Additionally, they received comprehensive information about the Active Patient-Paziente Bizia program, the Kronik ON empowerment program for complex chronic patients, and the Health Advice service. On May 16th, a dedicated workshop was conducted to analyze how these best practices could be incorporated into the integrated health system of the Region of Crete and utilized by citizens and health professionals.
The visit was part of the project HEALTHIER: Health Education for All, an interregional twinning initiative funded by the European project Digital Health Uptake. Coordinated by FORTH (Crete) and Biosistemak (Basque Country), HEALTHIER aims to share information and knowledge about the strategies and plans implemented by Osakidetza to empower patients and the general population through health education and literacy. The project also highlights the resources available to Basque citizens to better manage their health, such as health information and materials, workshops, training programs, services, and tools. The knowledge transfer from the Basque Country to the Region of Crete, Greece, facilitated by the HEALTHIER twinning program, provides an opportunity to adapt regional best practices, such as the health school and citizen empowerment programs, to other European regions.
The delegation of the Administration of the 7th Healthcare Region of Crete and FORTH-ICS consisted of the following members: Aimilia Magkanaraki, Head of Health Policies Directorate, Georgios Moschovakis, Head of IT Directorate, Evlampia Garedaki, Head of Public Health Directorate and Dr. Angelina Kouroubali, collaborating research at FORTH-ICS and project coordinator of HEALTHIER.
The Greek delegation praised the twinning program and its organization for its professional and human quality. Representatives from both regions view this activity as a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and identify potential areas for collaboration and future synergies. HEALTHIER offered a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and experiences between European regions towards citizen empowerment.
