SEURO

Project Description

The overall aim of SEURO is to evaluate key factors necessary to prepare EU regions to successfully implement and scale innovative, people-centric digital health and social care solutions for multiple disease management. The SEURO project follows a previous Horizon 2020 project called ProACT, where a digital platform for home-based self-management of older adults with multimorbidity was developed and evaluated. In this context, SEURO engages a multidisciplinary EU consortium of public and private organisations to consolidate EU research assets into a new comprehensive approach for the scale-up and transfer of digital integrated care solutions. The aim is to develop three novel implementation support tools to help implement and assess solutions to patient needs.

SEURO targets Europe’s 50 million multimorbid patients to proactively self-manage and offset the EU’s annual €700 billion cost of chronic disease management. SEURO aims to evaluate key factors to prepare organisations, localities and regions across the EU to scale, sustain and transfer the people-centred, digital integrated care platform ProACT (developed and successfully tested at a proof of concept level under Horizon 2020, PHC-25-2015, Grant No. 689996). The research will aim to advance 3 novel implementation support tools. These consist of a transferability self-assessment tool (ProTransfer) to assess preparedness for solution transfer; a behavioural change framework (ProBCF) to optimise a solution to people’s needs; and an artificial intelligence (AI) prediction model (ProInsight) to assess the impact of a solution on health system performance. Effective Implementation Hybrid Trials (720 older adults in total, with associated care/support actors) will be carried out with ProACT within health services (Ireland, Belgium Sweden to measure platform effectiveness), with embedded process evaluations to understand the process for successful ‘real world’ implementation. Participants will have at least two of the following: cardiovascular disease (excluding Stroke), a respiratory condition and diabetes. Commercial potential will be validated during the project supported by an exploratory trial (Italy) to evaluate the impact of SEURO in facilitating a procurement process for healthcare service providers aiming to implement ProACT. SEURO engages a multidisciplinary EU consortium of 4 public and 8 private organisations (including one of the world’s leading ICT companies, the largest home care provider and 2 EU service provider and technology networks). Partners have a successful collaborative track record. Together we are in a strong position to consolidate EU research assets into a new comprehensive approach for the scale-up and transfer of digital integrated care solutions.

Role of SMIT (in the project)
Within the project, SMIT will lead the Effectiveness Implementation Hybrid trial in Belgium with 240 older adults with multimorbidity and their care networks. Furthermore, SMIT leads the economic evaluation, value network analysis and co-ordinate the creation of exploitation and business plans. Imec will also play a key role in transferring and providing feedback on the SEURO tools (ProTransfer, ProBCF, ProInsight) tools to the Flemish trial site region in Belgium. Imec will also be involved in preparing and executing research activities of an EIH trial in Belgium, including ethics and data management.