The transformation of the critical patient care model within the scope of the SISCAT will take place throughout the territory

On 27 March, the Ministry of Health approved the general provision that sets out the strategic procedure for the transformation of the critical patient care model, with the aim of optimising the efficiency of the intensive care services by means of technology for the centres of the Catalan Health System (SISCAT).

This strategic approach constitutes a new country-wide consensus materialised through the Critic.CAT project. This is an initiative whose purpose is to improve the provision of intensive care services throughout Catalonia with a healthcare model based on digital tools. This technological improvement will facilitate the transfer of information and knowledge to all the players in the healthcare system involved in the treatment of critical patients to support the decision-making, the efficiency of the available resources and the equity of the public system.

Territorial deployment and work pillars

The first phase of the project will begin the territorial deployment in the Girona Health Region, where the model will be presented shortly. This deployment will take into account the results of the different ongoing pilot tests carried out at Berga Hospital, Tremp Hospital and the Arnau de Vilanova Hospital. Girona will analyse the initial results of the deployment to allow for its progressive implementation throughout Catalonia in the later phases.

The transformation work will be structured around five axes:

• The definition of the management model and action protocols. The procedure to establish mechanisms that facilitate decision-making based on patients’ needs, the available resources, guidelines and action protocols.
• The departmental system for the internal and integrated management of the critical care units at the SISCAT’s centres.
• The creation of a joint data repository, integrating all the information systems and devices to ensure standardised sharing.
• The analysis unit. Designed to exploit and analyse the data to evaluate and plan the critical services.
• The centre for the management of critical patients, to gather the information for decision-making based on the professional profile.

Governance and stakeholders

The governance model is based on a Management Committee, made up of the Care Management and Information Systems Management of the Catalan Health Service and the General Management of Health Planning and Innovation and Transformation Management of the Ministry of Health.

It will also have an Advisory Committee made up of experts and specialists and an Operational Committee. They will be coordinated by the TIC Salut Social Foundation and consist of the healthcare areas and departments of the entities providing services in the Catalan health ecosystem, including the Catalan Health Institute, La Unió, Consorci Sanitari i Social de Catalunya and the SEM. This Operational Committee also has three master plans: Sepsis, Cardiovascular Diseases and Cerebrovascular Diseases.