Building cooperative care communities

This article [based on a paper presented in April 2009 at the 61st Congress for facility professionals in healthcare (NVTG) and healthcare engineering (IFHE), in Goes in the Netherlands], presents the open cooperative community concept as a solution for the management of multicultural care in urban areas. The use of the word “open” here refers both to the focus on volunteer activity in the provision of services, and to the use of open fibre access technology in the building of cooperative communities. The use of open fibre access networks in healthcare is a significant development that enhances the effectiveness of overall care capabilities. It connects the care community to care networks across the Netherlands and the world. Collaborative tools include e-care, e-learning, e-science, and videoconferencing etc. Open fibre access provides higher speeds and bandwidth to the core network infrastructure, allowing strong and reliable access. It will enhance access to the care community, and it provides a gateway for collaborative working with wider care communities. One unique aspect of the open cooperative community concept is the careful consideration, as the very starting point, of users’ needs and requirements as an integral part of the healthcare innovation process. Such an approach is founded on empirical evidence from social science research.

A sound base for adaptability

Another innovative aspect is the way that collaboration between several organisational networks creates a sound base for greater adaptability in responding to both societal needs and care dynamics. The article describes such an approach’s successful use in the Amsterdam Bijlmer Care Centre, or “ABCC” project, which was launched in 2007 in south-east Amsterdam. The broader social implications are also discussed.