Can integrated care help in meeting the challenges posed on our health care systems by COVID-19? Some preliminary lessons learned from the european VIGOUR project

The COVID-19 pandemic puts health and care systems under pressure globally. This current paper highlights challenges arising in the care for older and vulnerable populations in this context and reflects upon possible perspectives for different systems making use of nested integrated care approaches adapted during the work of the EU-funded project VIGOUR

Core competencies for family and community nurses: a European e-Delphi study

Aim: To identify the core competencies of family and community nurses. Background: The European Union is facing common health challenges in the field of primary care, according to European health policies and the World Health Organization, which need to be addressed through better and innovative ways of working that require joint actions. There is evidence that ‘Family and Community Nurses’ play a key role in the field of primary care, but there is no agreement on which core competencies they are required to have. Design: An e-Delphi study Methods: A 4-round e-Delphi study was conducted from March to July 2018 as part of the Erasmus+ Project “EuropeaN curriculum for fAmily aNd Community nursE” (ENhANCE). A panel of 23 experts from 10 European countries were asked to approve, modify, or add items and then prioritize each skill. Results: This e-Delphi, as part of the ENhANCE project, produced core 28 competencies, which were used by the “ENhANCE” partners to develop the European Core Curriculum for Family and Community Nurses. The ENhANCE partners ensured that the core competencies were consistent with World Health Organization recommendations, the European Skills/Competencies, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) and with the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). Conclusions: The results of this study will provide the basis for universities across Europe to develop their own post-graduate teaching programs with common educational goals for Family and Community Nurses and a cadre of nurse practitioners with transferrable skills across the continent. Tweetable Abstract: This e-Delphi, as part of the ENhANCE project, produced 28 competencies for the European Core Curriculum for Family and Community Nurses

The european innovation partnership on active and healthy ageing synergies: protocol for a prospective observational study to measure the impact of a community-based program on prevention and mitigation of frailty (ICP –PMF) in community-dwelling older adults

Aim of this paper is to describe the protocol of the study “Impact of a Community-based Program on Prevention and Mitigation of Frailty in communitydwelling older adults” developed in the framework of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. This proposal has been developed by the Partnership Action groups on frailty, fall prevention and polypharmacy in older. The proposal wants to assess the impact of community-based programs aimed to counteract three main outcomes related to frailty: hospitalization, institutionalization and death. Bringing together researchers from seven European countries, the proposal aims to achieve the critical mass and the geographical extension enough to provide information useful to all older European citizens. An observational study will be carried out to calculate the incidence of the different outcomes in relation to the various interventions that will be assessed; results will be compared with data coming from already established national, regional and local dataset using the observed/expected approach. The sample will be made up by at least 2000 citizens for each outcome. All the citizens will be assessed at the baseline with two multidimensional questionnaires: the RISC questionnaire and the Short Functional Geriatric Evaluation questionnaire. The outcomes will be assessed every six-twelve months

Core competencies for family and community nurses: A European e-Delphi study

Aim: To identify the core competencies of family and community nurses. Background: The European Union is facing common health challenges in the field of primary care, according to European health policies and the World Health Organization, which need to be addressed through better and innovative ways of working that require joint actions. There is evidence that ‘Family and Community Nurses’ play a key role in the field of primary care, but there is no agreement on which core competencies they are required to have. Design: An e-Delphi study Methods: A 4-round e-Delphi study was conducted from March to July 2018 as part of the Erasmus+ Project “EuropeaN curriculum for fAmily aNd Community nursE” (ENhANCE). A panel of 23 experts from 10 European countries were asked to approve, modify, or add items and then prioritize each skill. Results: This e-Delphi, as part of the ENhANCE project, produced core 28 competencies, which were used by the “ENhANCE” partners to develop the European Core Curriculum for Family and Community Nurses. The ENhANCE partners ensured that the core competencies were consistent with World Health Organization recommendations, the European Skills/Competencies, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) and with the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). Conclusions: The results of this study will provide the basis for universities across Europe to develop their own post-graduate teaching programs with common educational goals for Family and Community Nurses and a cadre of nurse practitioners with transferrable skills across the continent. Tweetable Abstract: This e-Delphi, as part of the ENhANCE project, produced 28 competencies for the European Core Curriculum for Family and Community Nurses. © 2022 The Author