The initiative is part of the renewed strategic focus of PACT in moving to solution mode – to identify and share workable solutions to equitable access across Europe so that they receive the attention of broad network of stakeholders, policymakers, and donors.
Today the Patient Access Partnership (PACT) launches an open call under its latest initiative – Model Access Solutions. The project aims to provide Member States and different stakeholders with web-based repository of models of excellence in the field of access. The repository will be supplemented by a dedicated workshop, to explore how they can be replicated by stakeholders and/or scaled on local, regional, or national level in the country of origin or another Member State.
Too many excellent initiatives do not fulfil their potential application in other environments, disease areas and geographies. These are often developed outside government mechanisms of funding and are rarely promoted to national authorities for further scaling-up. “Our role will be to identify those examples and incorporate the patient’s view on which of them carry clear operational value to transform healthcare systems for more equitable health care and services.”, says Susanna Palkonen, Chairperson of PACT.
The topic of this cycle will be on initiatives that provide equity of access, along the care pathway for patients with chronic conditions at times of major public health challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Any stakeholder (directly or indirectly involved in the field of healthcare) whose initiative aims to improve equity of access to health and related care for patients can submit an initiative.
Remarkable experts in a multi-stakeholder Advisory Board will assess the proposals and decide which ones will become PACT’s Model Access Solutions. The selected proposals will be included in a dedicated web-based repository and promoted at a workshop to discuss the critical success factors for their implementation in other countries. Most importantly, by drawing on the evidence from the selected proposals PACT will work closely with the Interest Group on Equitable Access in the European Parliament to convey powerful and clear messages about the role of the European Union in encouraging the systematic uptake and wider implementation of existing best practice examples.
Stanimir Hasardzhiev, Secretary-General of PACT, stressed upon the importance of the project at a political level: “We need to shift to investing resources not only in projects per se, but also in sound, effective approaches to shared learning, replication, and scaling across the EU for better value and impact. Against the economic backdrop we are facing due to COVID-19, this has never been more relevant.”
The submission portal will be open for applications by Sunday, the 26th of September.