transitional care – Evolve2Care

Online Workshop Series to explore innovation in Transitional Care

Building on our ongoing efforts to analyse key drivers and barriers in transitional healthcare innovation, we are excited to launch the EVOLVE2CARE Online Workshop Series “Accelerating Innovation in Transitional Care – Identifying Key Needs & Meaningful Impact”!

Building upon the findings from Task 1.1, which identified more than 70 key drivers and barriers influencing innovation in transitional healthcare—spanning legal, regulatory, fiscal, technical, and operational factors—EVOLVE2CARE is now taking the next step with Task 1.2 that revolves around identifying the requirements of major stakeholders within the HealthTech and Transitional Care sector and building a framework of meaningful Key Performance indicators (KPIs) for the efficient and evidence-based integration of innovations for the benefit of transitional healthcare services delivery.

As part of this effort, the project is launching the online workshop series “Accelerating Innovation in Transitional Care – Identifying Key Needs & Meaningful Impact” featuring distinguished speakers, designed to engage healthcare providers, experts, innovators, and stakeholders in co-developing solutions that enhance patient care during transitions from hospital to home. The consolidated feedback from these workshops is going to feed into the preparation of the KPIs repository that will drive HealthTech solutions in Transitional Care.

Find out more about workshop series – Objectives, structure & participation

This workshop series aims to:

Validate stakeholder needs through real-world discussions
Refine Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Explore strategies to enhance patient outcomes
Engage healthcare professionals, innovators, and policymakers in meaningful dialogue

The workshops format

Each workshop will follow a structured approach.

Brief introduction to the EVOLVE2CARE Project
Keynote speech
KPI and Needs brainstorming and D1.1 Findings & Needs n’ KPI Framework mini lecture
Quiz Tool
Summary & Closing Discussion

The schedule & topics

Workshop 1: Empowering Innovators to Transform Transitional Care

Description: This session will explore how Living Labs drive HealthTech innovation, presenting key findings on the factors influencing healthcare innovation from multiple perspectives. A proposed framework to accelerate innovation will be introduced, highlighting the role of real-world testing, co-creation, and collaboration in developing effective solutions.

Keynote Speaker: Teemu Santonen, Principal Lecturer, Laurea University of Applied Sciences

Date: 4 March 2025 | Time: 14:00 – 15:00 CET

Workshop 2: Aligning Innovation with Healthcare Stakeholder Needs

Description: How do healthcare providers and patients experience and influence innovation? This workshop will present research on the challenges of integrating new technologies into healthcare and explore issues like usability, trust, and accessibility. Participants will engage in discussions to refine a framework that ensures innovations meet the real-world needs of healthcare professionals and patients.

Keynote Speaker: Kostas Bakogiannis, Medical Doctor, Cardiologist

Date: 11 March 2025 | Time: 14:00 – 15:00 CET

Workshop 3: Breaking Barriers—Key Factors for Driving Innovation in Transitional Care

Description: HealthTech innovation is shaped by regulatory frameworks, stakeholder needs, and real-world challenges. This workshop will bring together Living Labs, patients, healthcare professionals, EU initiatives, legislators, innovators, and accelerators to examine these critical factors. Participants will engage in open discussions to refine an innovation framework and contribute insights that will help shape the future of healthcare innovation.

Keynote Speaker: Aikaterini Zisaki, Quality Assurance Management Systems & Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Date: 18 March 2025 | Time: 15:00 – 16:30 CET

By participating, you will contribute to real-world healthcare advancements, collaborate with stakeholders from across Europe, and help foster a new paradigm of collaboration and innovation in transitional care.

Get involved & shape the future of healthcare innovation!

Navigating through multiple barriers to HealthTech for the Transitional Care

While HealthTech holds immense potential to transform transitional care, the challenges don’t stop at legal, regulatory, and fiscal barriers. Even with clear policies and sustainable funding, technical, operational, social and economic obstacles continue to hinder widespread adoption. Issues like interoperability, provider resistance, and patient trust must also be addressed to ensure these innovations can thrive.

The Evolve2Care Project is committed to tackling these challenges head-on. As outlined in Deliverable D1.1, “Roadmap on Navigating the Complexities of Enabling Innovative Technologies in Transitional Care,” a structured approach is needed to help stakeholders—healthcare providers, innovators, policymakers, and investors—overcome these hurdles. In this second part, we dive into the technical, operational, social and economic factors that stand in the way of seamless HealthTech integration.

3. Technical Challenges

Integrating HealthTech innovations into existing healthcare systems brings various technical hurdles that must be resolved for well-tempered implementation.

Interoperability Issues

HealthTech solutions rely on seamless data exchange between electronic health records (EHRs), diagnostic tools, and monitoring devices. However, varying formats and standards create inefficiencies, errors, and delays, making it difficult to ensure continuity of care.

Scalability and Customization

Innovators face challenges in making HealthTech solutions adaptable to different healthcare environments. What works in a small clinic may not suit large hospitals, and vice versa. Additionally, tailoring solutions to meet the diverse needs of patients, healthcare professionals, and institutions remains a key hurdle.

User-Centred Design and Accessibility

HealthTech solutions must prioritize user-friendly design to ensure accessibility for all users, especially patients with limited technical expertise. If a technology is difficult to use or understand, patients may disengage, reducing its impact on transitional care.

4. Operational Challenges

Healthcare providers often struggle to integrate new HealthTech solutions, especially in transitional care, where continuity is key.

Integration into Existing Care Pathways

Integrating new technologies into healthcare workflows is challenging, often facing resistance due to changes in care pathways. Successful adoption requires effective change management and alignment with existing processes.

Training and Support for Healthcare Professionals

Lack of adequate training hinders the effective use of new tools. Comprehensive training programs and ongoing technical support ensure that healthcare professionals can confidently integrate new technologies into their practice.

Patient Engagement and Adoption

For HealthTech solutions to succeed, patients must understand and engage with them. User-friendly design, patient education, and trust-building are essential to driving adoption and achieving better health outcomes.

5. Economic and Social Challenges

Beyond legal, regulatory, fiscal, technical and operational hurdles, economic and social factors also impact the success of HealthTech innovations in transitional care.

Economic Viability and Long-Term Sustainability

Many stakeholders have raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of HealthTech solutions. Ensuring cost-effectiveness in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs is crucial. A thorough evaluation of their economic impact is necessary to align with healthcare system budgets and ensure financial viability.

Social Acceptance and Trust

Public trust is essential for the adoption of HealthTech solutions. Concerns about data privacy, care dehumanization, and potential misuse of patient information must be addressed through trust in HealthTech solutions.

What needs to be done to overcome these hurdles?

Overcoming these challenges requires collaboration between innovators, healthcare providers, policymakers, and regulators. By addressing legal, financial, technical, operational, and social barriers, stakeholders can create an ecosystem where HealthTech innovations thrive.

Evolve2Care is committed to driving change—because better technology means better outcomes for patients and a more efficient healthcare system.

Blogs Challenges HealthTech transitional care

Bridging Perspectives: The challenge of Transitional Care Innovation

Why is Transitional Care innovation so challenging?

Moving between healthcare settings, whether an elderly patient returning home after hospitalization or a young adult shifting from pediatric to adult care, can be overwhelming. While innovative solutions have the potential to make these transitions smoother and more efficient, real-world implementation is often hindered by regulatory, financial, and practical challenges.

Addressing these challenges requires a strategic approach to integrating innovative solutions into transitional care. The Evolve2Care Project is committed to this goal, leveraging collaboration and evidence-based strategies to drive meaningful change. Deliverable D1.1, “Roadmap on Navigating the Complexities of Enabling Innovative Technologies in Transitional Care,” provides a structured framework to support stakeholders—such as startups, researchers, investors, healthcare professionals, and policymakers—in overcoming barriers to HealthTech adoption.

Through literature review, surveys and stakeholder interviews conducted within the preparation of D1.1, the findings highlight key trends, stakeholder perspectives, and the crucial steps needed to drive effective innovation in transitional care.

What common patterns emerge in transitional care innovation?

Through research, surveys, and expert interviews, three major themes emerged as pivotal in shaping the future of transitional care:

● Regulatory Complexities: Navigating healthcare regulations is challenging due to inconsistencies across regions.
● User-Centered Design & Usability: Healthcare professionals and patients stress the importance of easy-to-use technologies. No matter how advanced a solution is, its success hinges on real-world usability and seamless integration into existing healthcare workflows.
● The Role of Funding as a Key Enabler: Funding is a major driver of transitional care innovation, helping ideas grow from prototypes to real-world impact. However, many innovators struggle with financial barriers, while policymakers stress the need for sustainable funding models. Public-private partnerships are emerging as a key solution, especially for high-risk healthcare technologies that need validation and testing.

Where do stakeholders see things differently?

Despite a shared goal of improving transitional care, different stakeholders often approach the problem from unique angles:

● Innovators vs. End-Users (Healthcare Providers and Patients): Innovators focus on technical challenges like interoperability and data security, while healthcare providers prioritize ease of integration and efficiency in daily practice. Patients, on the other hand, value user-friendly solutions that empower them in self-care.
● Innovators vs. Policymakers: While innovators push for faster regulatory approval pathways, policymakers emphasize regulatory rigor to ensure safety.
● Healthcare Providers vs. Patients: Healthcare providers are concerned with the adoption of new technologies within clinical workflows such as training requirements, costs, and system integration, while patients focus on ease of use and how well a technology fits into their daily lives.
● Living Labs vs. Innovators: Living labs focus on real-world testing and iteration of new healthcare technologies, while innovators prioritize technology development and market readiness, sometimes viewing feedback as an added complexity.

How can we align perspectives and drive change?

To turn challenges into opportunities, stakeholders must work together to ensure the effective advancement of transitional care innovations.
Key areas for alignment include:

● Collaboration between Innovators and End-Users: Engaging healthcare providers and patients early in the design process ensures solutions that are practical and easy to adopt.
● Balancing Flexibility and Regulation: Policymakers and innovators must work together to harmonize regulatory frameworks across countries, making pathways clearer while maintaining patient safety standards.
● Sustainable Funding Models: Policymakers and funding bodies must establish long-term, outcome-driven funding models to support the development and scaling of transitional care innovations.

What’s next for transition care innovation?

To truly transform transitional care, innovation must be practical, well-regulated, and financially sustainable. Here’s how we can make it happen:

● User-Centred, Interdisciplinary Approaches: By involving interdisciplinary teams in the development process, new solutions can be ensured to be clinically effective, user-friendly, and seamlessly integrated into care workflows.
● Clear and Flexible Regulatory Pathways: Streamlining approval processes while ensuring patient safety requires ongoing collaboration between innovators, regulators, and healthcare providers.
● Improved Funding Support: Policymakers must ensure long-term financial backing for impactful solutions. Sustainable funding structures are needed to support pilot projects, commercialization, and scaling of transitional care innovations.

The Evolve2Care Project continues to explore how we can bridge the gaps in transitional care, ensuring that innovation leads to real-world improvements for patients, providers, and the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Blogs perspectives transitional care