Prof. Peter Groenewegen appointed as co-director of the Observatory Venice Summer School 2016

Prof. Peter Groenewegen, senior researcher health care system and governance at NIVEL and EFPC Execuitve Board member, is appointed as co-director of the Observatory Venice Summer School 2016. The Venice Summer School will be held from 24 -30 July 2016 at Isola di San Servolo. This year’s theme is: 'Primary health care: innovating for integrated, more effective care.'

The summer school is a one week intensive course aimed at senior and mid level policy makers, civil servants and professionals steering primary care services and those looking at strengthening care, its continuity and integrative functions within and beyond the health system.

Building on participants’ own knowledge and expertise, the School will:

• Systematize and interpret primary care reform innovations and their implementation
• Provide tools to assess the performance of primary care systems
• Explore a series of innovations that can help to strengthen effectiveness
• Address how integrative and integrated primary health care systems can serve whole populations, including vulnerable groups
• Address the integration between health care, public health and social services
• Provide evidence-based country experiences of different systems and innovative models of primary care
• Review how provider payments and incentives can ensure primary care fulfills its potential and works effectively with other sectors

The School will equip participants to:

• Investigate different organizational models for delivering primary care (including public and private provision)
• Coordinate different professionals with an appropriate skill mix to best meet patients’ needs
• Apply tools, frameworks and different approaches to better support and integrate different population groups, including persons in vulnerable situations
• Use technological innovations and information system developments to support more effective primary care and better integration
• Empower patients and make primary care the guide which advises patients in their path through the health system, and supports them in exercising choice and accessing the right services in the right settings at the right time
• Integrate public health services into primary care
• Answer the questions: ?How can innovation be shared and applied in practice in very different European systems, given the path dependency of provision?
• How can innovation be used to include vulnerable groups whether they are migrants; minorities; in isolated rural communities; or otherwise excluded?
• How can professionals, carers and consumers be engaged in and support implementation?
• How can the most fitting strategies be identified in a given national context?

Submittion of CV and application form before 31 May 2016. For more information and registration procedures visit the website of the Observatory Venice Summer School.