261013 Public-Private Partnerships working for Public Health in Germany- The “Metropolitan Health Region Rhine-Neckar”

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Christian Jacke , Mental Health Services Research Group, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
Hans-Joachim Salize , Mental Health Services Research Group, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
Oliver Heinze , Department of Information Technology and Medial Engineering, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Dominik Ose , Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Hans-Joachim Szecsenyi , Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
Björn Bergh , Department of Information Technology and Medial Engineering, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
With ca. 4.3 Mio.employees health care is the largest economic sector in Germany. However, limited health care budgets and an overall need for cost-containment require innovative approaches for an efficient health care provision. Thus, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research invoked the research programme „Health Regions of the Future – Progress by Research and Innovation”, which aims at combining research institutes, universities and industrial companies in a collaborative effort for developing innovative products or processes in the health care sector. There were no restrictions regarding concepts, treatments or products to be suggested. Outcomes were required to be marketable as products. Out of 83 applicants, five German regions were selected for funding. The total grant is ca. 40 Mio. Euros for a funding period of four years. Work has started in June 2012.

One selected region is the Rhine-Neckar-Region in South Germany, hosting the University of Heidelberg as a centre of research excellence and many high tech companies and global players as representatives of the industrial sector. The “Metropolitan Health Region Rhine-Neckar” covers nine connected sub-studies, which are focused on IT-based projects ranging from personal electronic health records, drug safety programmes to case-management initiatives to be assessed in RCTs in the cancer or diabetes field. Health economy analyses are included to assess the added value or budget consequences.

This innovative collaboration of research institutes and industrial partners will contribute to an improved and cost-effective health care provision and is expected to have an additional impact on the labour market.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
This contribution will describe how public-private partnerships were built between research institutes and IT-companies for mutual benefits. It explains how policy can create incentives that lead to process and product innovations which aim at better health care provision and new jobs.

Keywords: Public Health Research, Information Technology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal investigator in several health service research projects which encompassed epidemiological (cancers, mental health) and health economy issues.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4166.0: Poster Session - Diverse & Interdisciplinary Partnerships to Promote Public Health