Recovery Plan, a healthcare mission (part 1)

The latest version of the "Recovery Plan" allocates approximately € 20 billion to the "healthcare mission". The central point of the project is to strengthen and redesign territorial healthcare.

€ 20 billion to improve healthcare in Italy

The latest version of the draft "Recovery Plan" allocates approximately 20 billion euros to the "healthcare mission". The central point of the project is to strengthen and redesign territorial healthcare. The main place where patients are treated will have to be their homes. A revolution made possible by telemedicine and integrated home care.

Made in cooperation with our partners from esanum.it

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza, PNRR or Recovery Plan) is the investment programme that Italy must present to the European Commission as part of the Next Generation EU.

In order to restart Europe after the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union approved the Next Generation EU, also known as the "Recovery Fund". This special fund is intended to support the economic recovery of European countries over the next three years. The total allocation exceeds 700 billion euros, which will be used to finance the structural reform projects set out in the National Reform Plans of each country. All Member States will have to submit their Recovery Plans to the European Commission by 30 April 2021.

The draft NRP is divided into 6 macro-missions:

1. digitisation, innovation, competitiveness and culture (46.3 billion)
2. Green revolution and ecological transition (69.8 billion)
3. infrastructure for sustainable mobility (31.9 billion)
4. Education and research (€28.4 billion)
5. inclusion and social (€27.6 billion)
6. Health (€19.7 billion)

The 'health' mission, in turn, has two main strands:

• "Proximity networks, facilities and telemedicine for territorial healthcare": To strengthen and align the Italian National Health Service with the local care and assistance needs of communities, also in light of the pandemic emergency, ultimately achieving higher levels of well-being for citizens, regardless of their place of residence and their socio-economic conditions;
• "Innovation, research and digitisation of the National Health Service": To ensure favourable and universal conditions necessary to ensure greater resilience of the Health Service through (a) the promotion and strengthening of the scientific research sector; (b) the strengthening of health information systems and digital tools at all levels, the enhancement of human resources through the modernisation of training tools and contents and the development of professional skills; (c) the development of a significant structural improvement of the safety of hospital facilities and the alignment with current earthquake-resistant standards; (d) the replacement of obsolete health technologies in hospitals.

The total budget of €19.7 billion will be divided between the two clusters: €7.9 billion for the former, €11.8 billion for the latter.

The green and digital aspects of the health mission

The Recovery Plan has an approach that takes great account of the 'green' and 'digital' aspects of the projects. In fact, not only does it devote the first two missions entirely to them, but it also imprints every investment and strategy on them.

The health mission generally contributes to the development of the "green transition" through

• the improvement of technological efficiency given by the enhancement of all forms of innovation and the optimisation of production processes;
• a more efficient care service, reducing the need to travel to hospitals - the cause of pollution generated by means of transport - in favour of a local and home-based approach;
• renewing the energy efficiency of infrastructure and equipment;
• the strengthening, development and expansion of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) at regional level and the strengthening of the technological infrastructure and tools for collecting, processing, analysing and simulating data at central level (for example, the deployment of the EHR will make it possible to reduce the need to print health documents on paper by facilitating fully digital access to health data).

The healthcare mission generally contributes to the development of the digital transition

• by strengthening digital capabilities and implementing advanced technologies in hospitals;
• by facilitating a profound technological evolution of communication and data transmission systems with great benefits on the appropriateness of the healthcare services provided;
• by facilitating the digitisation of care, promoting the deployment of interconnected care devices;
• by redefining operational methodologies within the National Health Service, using digital technologies and strategic elements of robotics, ensuring monitoring and remote care, integrating research activities with care activities.

The investment will contribute to the creation of an infrastructure for the collection of useful data to be analysed through artificial intelligence and machine learning processes. In this sense, it will contribute to the strengthening of digital investments in the country, making the information infrastructure interconnectable and easily accessible. Artificial intelligence systems, through big data and machine learning, will provide support to practitioners, decision makers and enable patients to receive the necessary care at home in a timely manner. The home will be the first place of care, personalised and patient-friendly care.

Click on the image to download the Recovery Plan draft

Reference:
Draft Recovery Plan "Mission 6 - Healthcare. M6C1 - Proximity networks, facilities and telemedicine for territorial healthcare assistance. M6C2 - Innovation, research and digitalisation of national healthcare service".