ULSS N. 9 of Treviso (Italy)
ULSS N. 9 of Treviso (Azienda Unita Locale Socio Sanitaria N 9 Di Treviso) is a pioneer in the development of telemedicine services in Veneto Region and it is involved in various projects in this area both at regional and national level. The civil servants of ULSS N. 9 of Treviso act as spokespersons on behalf of Veneto Region concerning the implementation of telemedicine projects and of policy initiatives at regional level as far as they provide regional input to the development of a national framework on this subject. Furthermore, ULSS N. 9 of Treviso represents Veneto Region in European projects in the field of telemedicine services.
Finally, ULSS N. 9 of Treviso is also at the forefront of the practical implementation of telemedicine services with the highest number of telemedicine initiatives implemented in its territory in the region.
About the Veneto Region
Regione Veneto is situated in the North-Eastern part of Italy and is divided into seven provinces. It covers an area of 18.391 km² and has about 4.9 million inhabitants that live in 580 municipalities. The Veneto Regional Government provides health and social services to the resident population through 21 Local Health Units and 2 Hospital Trusts.
In the Veneto Region there are 348 psychiatric care facilities. While the provision of outpatient facilities is almost entirely public, the private sector mainly manages residential and semi-residential facilities.
Veneto Region is also involved in a European project and a Joint action regarding Mental Health. The first, Euregenas (European Regions Enforcing Actions Against Suicide) contributes to the prevention of suicidality through the development and implementation of strategies for suicide prevention at regional level that can be used in the European Community as examples of good practice. The second one is a joint action with the focus on mental health and well-being, prevention of mental disorders and the improvement of care and social inclusion of people with mental disorders in Europe. The joint action will address the promotion of mental health at the work place and in schools, promoting action against depression and suicide, developing a mental health care community and promoting the integration of mental health in all policies.
MasterMind services
cCBT and ccVC:
Treviso, in the Veneto Region, has implemented a new model of integrated care with the aim to improve the collaborative care between primary and secondary care, and to give patients the necessary support in the management of their disease. The new model includes two services: the videoconference tool with the possibility to share the information of the patient, and the inclusion of cCBT treatment in routine care, with which the patients can monitor their own mood and follow the everyday activities suggested, helping them to manage their own depression and contribute to recover it.
The videoconference tool is used by the GP to ask for support from the specialists, sharing the symptoms and the situation of his patients, and to define better follow up together. To permit the real integration of care, the Territorial Information System is been integrated with primary care, giving GPs the possibility to see the past clinical history of the patient at any time, and to have the necessary background to decide on better follow up, providing a new integrated relationship between primary and secondary care.
The follow up of these patients will last at most three months, after which the patient will be followed, related to the decided pathway.
The new care model is applied to about 30 professional and a target of 200 patients followed for three months or more, to monitor the impact of their improved management and care, in term of organizational efficiency and clinical integration between different settings.
ULSS N. 9 of Treviso team members: