Special Report: 4D Cities URBACT Project - From Health to Wealth

Cheaper solutions with smart technology

That is the thinking behind URBACT's 4D Cities, now in its implementation phase. Smart technology and high-tech industries can develop cheaper solutions that target the needs of individual patients and citizens, rather than the old 'one-size-fits-all' health services. Eight cities are participating in the project: Lead Partner Igualada (Spain), Leeds (UK), Novara (Italy), Tartu (Estonia), Plunge (Lithuania), Jena (Germany), Baia Sprie (Romania) and Eindhoven (Netherlands).

Lead Expert Mireia Sanàbria explains how the thinking can work in practice. "Businesses can develop high-tech tools that enable people to stay in their own homes rather than being in hospital long-term," she says. "For example, people with certain disabilities could just tap on an iPad or tablet to start communication with a call centre where people with specialized knowledge can coordinate action. Or GPS wristbands can be used by the emergency services to track someone and to send the right service for that person. These are all business opportunities."
 

Europe's first 'simulated hospital'

In Igualada itself, the beacon health project is a "simulated hospital", based in a former hospital building, where doctors, nurses and technicians can train and develop new processes before they work in a real hospital. This innovative project, which will open in March 2014, is the first simulated hospital in Europe and its chief aim is to improve patient safety by reducing errors and improving procedures.

Angels Chacón, the deputy mayor of Igualada, who is Lead Partner in 4D
Cities explains: "The private sector is absolutely involved. The city council is offering the use of this building, then companies are also involved, some of them testing their products. Some will give equipment to the centre, others want training for their people. And the universities and professional colleges are also involved, the hospital, the primary care centres – we have many actors. If it was only a public project it wouldn't work at the present time with budget cuts."
 

Putting patients first

This is a good example of what 4D Cities want to do. The philosophy is to have city government as a coordinator of action and dialogue between stakeholders such as universities and training centres, businesses, patients’ associations and the health services. The guiding principle is to put the patient at the centre of the service.

Each of the partner cities has a different focus in the field of health. Jena is establishing itself as an eye-care centre, attracting high-tech companies in optics and ophthalmology, which will benefit citizens and attract a specialised workforce.

Baia Sprie in Romania is attempting to reopen a hospital in the town through private companies, and to improve its health services both to retain its own citizens and also to serve the tourists who go there for winter skiing.
 

Higher quality of life for the elderly

The city of Eindhoven, with its high-tech and R&D economy, runs an innovative cooperative called Slimmer Leven 2020, aimed at using technology to deliver more cost-efficient care and a higher quality of life for its growing elderly population.

Novara benefits from a science park dedicated to research into autoimmune diseases and is seeking ways capitalize on this, and to share the benefits with its citizens by providing new models of healthcare involving both the public and private sectors.

A high level of technology business also characterizes Tartu, Estonia's second city. It also has top universities and scientific research centres and is looking to the 4D Cities project for guidance on how to strengthen its healthcare system, using both the public and private sectors.

Plunge, a small town in Lithuania, wants to attract a bigger workforce and their families through enhancing its health system and its business potential.
 

Innovative ways of integrating services

The city of Leeds has ambitions to become the best city in the UK for health. This year it is setting up the Leeds Integrated Health Hub, seeking innovative ways of integrating the city's health and social services.

Leeds was the host on October 3-4 for the URBACT project's third transnational meeting, exploring integration and communication in different branches of health. The city showcased some of its innovative programmes, including a 40-bed rehabilitation centre for patients who have left hospital but are not yet ready to return home, a community activity centre for the elderly, staffed by volunteers, and an initiative in which patients and their families have a single contact for all the services.
 

Room for exchange and improvement

Mireia Sanàbria said: "In Leeds we could see the four drivers of our project – the health service, business, citizens and knowledge – already in place. It was an opportunity to see a more advanced stage of our 360-degree strategy. But there is always room for exchange and improvement when we talk to one another at these events."

Angels Chacón added: "We learned a lot about how to involve volunteers in the health system. This is something we don't have so much in Spain. It never entered our minds that maybe some of the services could be delivered by a network of volunteers."
 

Next steps

The project's next transnational meeting will be in Jena on November 7-8, when the partners will discuss knowledge: how universities and training centres can offer new models for the health sector.

Next year the partners will develop their Local Action Plans before presenting them at a Final Meeting in Igualada in November 2014.

 
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• 4D Cities - URBACT Project