Sustainability of organisational models implementation in primary care: the CIRCE-JA approach

Fostering healthcare is the aim of EU4Health 2021-2027 agenda. To promote it the EU commission has launched calls for projects, in particular, a call for best practices (BPs) in primary healthcare (PHC). The Joint Action (JA) CIRCE-JA that was funded aims to transfer and implement PHC BPs among Member States, raising their capacity in implementing innovative care models and addressing health system transformation. To be fully effective and maintained over time a BP should be sustainable; part of the efforts of CIRCE-JA are dedicated to study and assure sustainability of the project. Sustainability is a key issue to make an intervention, although already proved of good quality, useful for the population through time. To identify factors of a sustainable implementation, a search of the literature has been done to outline a questionnaire that will be validated through DELPHI methodology and submitted to organisations already managing the BPs and the affiliated entities that will introduce the BPs in their organisations. CIRCE JA will lead to the implementation of 6 PHC BPs in 44 implementation sites located in 14 European countries. This variability calls for a solid transferring methodology to sustain the implementation. The theme of sustainability is not new and the literature search is going to provide enough material for the implementation of the questionnaire. The questionnaire will be compiled by BPs owners which have created the organisational model and the implementing sites; this will be done in order to understand the problems faced and assay the perceived issues. PHC is a priority for EU bodies. Sharing experiences and organisational models on PHC and the diffusion of BPs can be useful to improve quality and access of healthcare, also promoting the so-called European Health Union. Furthermore, a proper study of the sustainability of the interventions leads to a better and longer implementation, not causing a waste of effort, money and time. KEY MESSAGES: • To effectively transfer and implement an organisational model, a solid study on sustainability should be conducted. • An efficient PHC organisation and provision is crucial to improve quality and access to healthcare.