More integrated patient pathways through transnational healthcare innovation in the Danube Region
K Davidovics, B Bessenyey, K Dozsa, T Jurca, P Pazitny, A Tiboldi, V Vadas, G Varga, R KovacsAbstract
Description
The ongoing digital shift in healthcare challenges the Danube Region. To address differences in innovation readiness and maturity, DIGI4Care (ending June 2026) implements four transnational pilot projects with 11 partners from 7 countries. The pilots cover diverse health conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases) and intervention points (prevention, screening, prehospital and long-term care, rehabilitation), generating actionable insights. DIGI4Care examines how digital solutions can reshape patient pathways and advance integrated care across health services. While pilots provide real-world evidence, the main goal is to develop policy recommendations at member-state level together with strategical insights at regional level. The focus shifts from technical device specifications to key structural enablers: professional acceptance, clinical workflow redesign, interoperability, and financial incentives.
Results
Health systems in the Danube Region face common burdens, workforce shortages, and fragmented care. Transitioning to digitally enabled patient pathways - from episodic, hospital-centric models to proactive, data-driven care - can strengthen patient-centred, integrated systems. The project identifies good practices for knowledge exchange, harmonised evaluation, and shared systemic bottlenecks often missed in single-country pilots. These practices offer adaptable, evidence-based blueprints for national and regional healthcare planning and integration.
Main message and lesson
Transnational Interreg cooperation in DIGI4Care produces scalable, evidence-based policy recommendations for integrating digitally enabled patient pathways across member states by shifting from isolated pilots to a regional framework. Digital solutions can modify traditional patient pathways. However, awareness of systemic barriers (regulatory, infrastructural, organisational) to transnational implementation must inform well-designed policy interventions.
Key messages
• Transnational Interreg cooperation in DIGI4Care delivers scalable, evidence-based policy options to integrate digitally enabled patient pathways by shifting from isolated pilots to regional framework.
• Digital solutions can modify traditional patient pathways. However, awareness of systemic barriers to transnational implementation is essential to inform well-designed policy interventions.