Responsible Research and Innovation in H2020:Current Status and Steps Forward

The NewHoRRIzon project published its first policy brief in May 2018, coordinated and written by Robert Braun of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) and co-authored by Michael Bernstein of GenØk – Centre for Biosafety with contributions from the NewHoRRIzon team, on the status of RRI in H2020. The policy brief aims at offering evidence based policy recommendations—informed by the first inputs of NewHoRRIzon research efforts across 19 social labs—to policy makers, journalists and interested researchers on the state of play of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in Horizon (H2020) and proposing immediate actions to consider for mainstreaming RRI in the next framework program, FP9. The early research highlights steps that the EU has already initiated to advance RRI in H2020 programming, such as including commitments in the founding regulation of the programme and establishing devoted activities through the Science with and for Society programme. However, findings also point to numerous challenges for widespread and sustained implementation across H2020 programming and projects. First results indicate a range of policies that could be pursued to build capacity of the European R&I enterprise to realize RRI. Our recommendations, among others, include: focus on excellence in terms of transparent and socially robust knowledge that is inclusive of stakeholder and citizen perspectives; capacity building and training of programme officers, evaluators, researchers, innovators, and stakeholders to learn more about ways that science and technology are embedded in society; and further investments in the development of “Key Performance Indicators” or other methods of monitoring and evaluating RRI implementation

Patterns of care in patients discharged from acute psychiatric inpatient facilities

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of patients scheduled for discharge from acute psychiatric inpatient facilities in Italy, and their pattern of care. Methods: Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and patterns of care of 1,330 patients discharged from public and private inpatient facilities in Italy were assessed with a standardized methodology during an index period in the year 2004. Results: About one half of the samplehad schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. However, the case-mix differed between public and private facilities, where in-patients had more frequently mood and anxiety disorders. The use of two or more drugs was very common, involving more than 90% of patients and including typically benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. Structured psychosocial treatments were rarely initiated during the hospital stay. Increasing age, male gender, long stay in the facility (>60 days), personality disorder and type of facility were associated with a higher likelihood of being discharged to a community residential facility. Predictors of discharge to another psychiatric facility were increasing age, being single, schizophrenia, personality disorder and organic mental disorder. Families were not involved in decisions about patients' discharge in a significant proportion of cases. University psychiatric clinics and private facilities were less coordinated with the community system of care than General Hospital Psychiatric Units. Referral of patients with substance use disorder to drug addiction services occurred in just 30% of subjects. Conclusions: This study provides information on the characteristics and the pattern of care of patients discharged from inpatient facilities in a country that has closed down all its mental hospitals. This information may be relevant for those countries that are affording now the downsizing of MHs, and the expansion of community-based models of care. \ua9 Steinkopff Verlag Darmstadt 2009