Europe - EFNContinuity of care – European Federation of Nurses (EFN)
Article Type: News and views From: International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 25, Issue 2
Keywords: Quality healthcare, Continuity of care, Patients’Rights
The Patients’ Rights in Cross-border Healthcare EU Directive(2011/24/EU) calls on Member States to enhance cooperation between healthcare providers and institutions at all levels to ensure safe, high-quality and efficient cross-border healthcare. Continuity of care must also be organised and encouraged within the national and regional health systems of the European countries to make a broad collaboration in cross-border healthcare possible.
The European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) believes that nurses, as the fundamental link between all healthcare sectors, have a crucial role in ensuring the continuity of care and asks for several efforts to be made to ensure that the nursing profession can deliver it:
Continuity of communication and information at all levels to provide holistic and integrated care for European citizens.
Community care facilities equipped with interoperable eHealth services to support channels of communication among healthcare professionals.
Adoption of a common nursing terminology, such as International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP).
A competent, well-motivated and sustainable professional workforce to encourage capacity building when taking up innovative solutions.
Clear identification of roles and responsibilities defined for health professionals, including advanced roles for nurses.
High standards of cooperation, active flows of communication, team working and multidisciplinary approach within integrated delivery systems.
The EFN believes that these efforts together with appropriate funding are essential for a successful implementation of the EU Directive on Patients’Rights in Cross-border Healthcare.
For more information: www.healthfirsteurope.org
