Interreg-VI project CARE-FLOW

The project’s objective is to develop and evaluate healthcare software products and algorithms that improve the streamlining of patient flows and capacities in the program area, ensuring access to and efficiency of healthcare. We focus on emergency services, hospitals, and care facilities and their collaboration across the border. Due to the geographical proximity in the border region, the duplication of, e.g., ambulances and (intensive care) beds is not absolutely necessary. Rather, the joint use of capacities across the border offers the opportunity to provide patients with the care they need and to reduce overcapacity. We use methods from the fields of IT, artificial intelligence, and analytics to ultimately manage patient flows between healthcare facilities and capacities within the region intelligently using software and algorithms. The algorithms enable data-driven decisions based on demand forecasts. Besides regular demand, we also consider peak demand, e.g., pandemics, as cross-border collaboration is even more important due to the high demand. We develop the software based on feedback from our partners in the healthcare sector in order to remove barriers for practical implementation. We simplify the use of the products through a new training concept. The cross-border consortium comprises companies, universities, and partners from the healthcare sector and combines the necessary expertise to address requirements from Germany and the Netherlands. The CARE-FLOW project is being carried out as part of the Interreg VI-Program Deutschland-Nederland and co-financed with 2.9 million euros by the European Union, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZK), the MWIKE NRW and the MB Niedersachsen as well as the provinces of Groningen, Fryslân, Drenthe, Flevoland, Overijssel, Gelderland, Noord-Brabant and Limburg. Interreg program website: https://deutschland-nederland.eu/en/projects/care-flow/