Baltic Cities tackle lifestyle related diseases – The development of an innovative model for prevention interventions targeting public health authorities in the Baltic Sea Region

October 2017 -
September 2020

EUSBSR flagship

Priority area:
Health

1. Innovation 1.3 Non-tech innovation

BaltCityPrevention

Strokes, obesity, and heart and lung diseases are among the health challenges in Europe. This implies a new service development approach in the public health sector. The project helps public health authorities in cities around the Baltic Sea to better promote healthy lifestyle by developing and testing a model that public health authorities can apply in prevention intervention planning. The model combines methods such as focus groups, motivational interviewing, eHealth applications, chatbots and health games.

Summary

The aim of the project

In BaltCityPrevention 15 partners from 7 countries test a user-oriented approach to develop and implement prevention and health promotion interventions. The interventions are offered by public health authorities, e.g. health care and social departments in municipalities, and address people with different health issues. Current prevention measures are often ineffective, since the methods are not tailored to the users. To improve the tailoring, the prevention measures are developed together with the users. New technologies are to be employed in the planning procedures and also as innovative tools for prevention purposes.

Projects’ activities

As a first step, some basic research is conducted in order to collect data to choose the right methods for the new approach. Building on this knowledge, the partners test the approach in different pilot sites. Networking is also a big part in the project. Networking activities between public health authorities and eHealth companies is organized to foster the cooperation between eHealth companies and those stakeholders that develop and maintain the interventions.

Who is working in the project?

The main partners in the consortium are the public health authorities which coordinate the testing at the pilot sites. They are the main drivers in the project activities. Universities deliver a research infrastructure and knowledge on methods and concepts used in this project. The project partners gather a group of important associated partners around them. These are SME clusters, policy stakeholders or prevention and health promotion associations. The close contact to these partners ensures a broad dissemination of project results and a pool of deeper knowledge and experiences.

Project Stories

Transnational cooperation evolved over 11 years

“Our network was initiated during a three year project funded by Interreg,” explains Roland Trill, one of the network’s initiators who led the institute for eHealth and management in the health sector at Flensburg University for more than 30 years. Flensburg University is where the secretariat of the “eHealth for Regions” network is based. Flensburg is also the first university in Germany to establish a master’s programme for eHealth, back in 2007. “We decided to continue the network while the project was still running, because we were convinced that eHealth is a great chance for the health sectors of all industrialised countries,” Trill explains. The funding for the network is provided by the partner organisations themselves. With their work, the partners want to enhance the citizens’ health literacy and to open up the market for electronic applications supporting this. So far, the network has brought about three projects.

More efficient doctor’s visits for heart disease patients through digital health records

From 2010 to 2012, “ICT for Health“ was all about innovative solutions for people with chronic diseases. “We focused on patients with heart failure,” Trill remembers. One core element of the project was electronic patients’ records which the patients updated themselves. “The patients carried out electro cardiograms independently and documented their weight and their blood pressure. Via Bluetooth, the values were inserted into the file and sent to their respective doctors.” In light of long waiting periods and short treatment/examination phases, this method proved to save a lot of time for patients. Because the project turned out to be very successful, a bachelor-level course and a module for a master’s course were introduced at Flensburg University.

Pooling doctors in rural areas for professional online exchange and trainings

“Primcare IT” (2011-2014) addressed doctors. How can more young physicians be brought to rural areas? What keeps them from establishing a practice in the countryside? Those were the leading questions. “We found out that young /junior doctors were afraid of losing touch with medical developments,” recalls Trill. That was why he and his partners developed a system which makes it possible for doctors to team up for online training and consultations.

Activating teenagers to care about their health

At the moment, the network partners are working together to improve the health literacy of teenagers within the BaltCityPrevention project. Stroke, obesity, and heart and lung diseases are among the great health challenges in Europe. This implies that a new service development approach in the public health sector is needed. The project helps public health authorities in cities around the Baltic Sea to better promote a healthy lifestyle by developing and testing a model that public health authorities can apply in prevention intervention planning, in particular targeting teenagers. The model combines methods such as focus groups, motivational interviewing, eHealth applications, chatbots and health games. “eHealth is just the right way to work with teenagers, as you can reach this target group best via the internet,” notes Trill.

Much achieved and scope for development

Through years of Interreg cooperation around the Baltic Sea, the eHealth partners have acquired new knowledge and skills that they now apply in their regions. Interreg fosters such exchange of experience and thus increases cohesion among the Baltic Sea region countries. For the future of eHealth, Trill would like to see all countries around the sea join the network. In spring 2018, Trill retired and handed over the responsibility for the eHealth network and BaltCityPrevention to Rüdiger Breitschwerdt, a young professor with a strong background in medical IT who will bring new impulses to eHealth cooperation in the Baltic Sea region: "In particular, Interreg gives us the chance to foster eHealth cooperation with the Baltic States, and to discuss chances of and barriers for eHealth on the political level.”

Article by Andrea Henkel (www.wortakzente.de), edited by Gabriele Andersen (IB.SH) and translated/edited by Stefanie Maack (Interreg Baltic Sea Region MA/JS) with support of Levke Johannsen (Flensburg University of Applied Sciences).