The collaboration, coordinated by the Biosistemak Health Systems Research Institute, together with the Directorate General of Osakidetza and the OSI Bilbao-Basurto, has facilitated the international transfer of knowledge from the Basque Country.
On May 15, 2024, the Assembly Hall of the University Hospital of Basurto, Bilbao-Basurto Integrated Healthcare Organization, hosted the delegation from Crete, Greece. The visiting team included representatives from FORTH, along with the Heads of the Health Policies Directorate, Public Health Directorate, and Information Systems Directorate of the Administration of the 7th Healthcare Region of Crete, Greece. The event focused on sharing Osakidetza’s knowledge and experience in patient empowerment and health education for Basque citizens.
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 conference was attended by healthcare professionals and managers from the Sub-Directorate of Primary Care of the General Directorate, the Sub-Directorate of Nursing, the Sub-Directorate of Quality and Information Systems, and the OSI Bilbao-Basurto. They explained the structure of Osakidetza and the Integrated Healthcare Organizations, as well as the strategies for integrated care, patient empowerment, and Primary Care from a community perspective. They also presented various programs and services available in Osakidetza aimed 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, as well as the wide range of activities conducted for citizen empowerment. Nursing professionals from the OSI Bilbao-Basurto and OSI Goierri-Urola Garaia shared their experiences in developing and implementing various empowerment programs and activities in daily clinical practice.
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 like Crete. Also, 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 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 between European regions and to identify potential areas for collaboration and future synergies.
