RSCN

RSCN is a European non-profit network that was established in 2013 following the 1st Call for Reference Sites under the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA).

It brings together all accredited Reference Sites into a single network to:

  • facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise;

  • creating opportunities for collaboration to address common health and care challenges;

  • advocating on their behalf with the European Commission on health and care, including active and healthy ageing, policies;

  • and facilitating them in their development and health and care reform programmes.

By bringing together multidisciplinary clusters of expertise (health, business, research, policy, social, etc) the RSCN facilitates Reference Site Regions in sharing their diverse backgrounds and experience to identify and address mutual health and care challenges that will help improve health and care outcomes for citizens throughout the life-course. This enables the RSCN and its Member Reference Sites to address the key factors that impede the effectiveness of interventions aimed at mitigating the negative impact of ageing on individuals and society as a whole.

Role in the project

The RSCN plays a pivotal role in the TEAMCARE project, serving as the primary partner responsible for Dissemination, Exploitation, and Sustainability of the project’s results. RSCN’s participation ensures that the innovative aspects of TEAMCARE effectively target and reach a diverse array of stakeholders, including representatives from government, healthcare providers, universities, industry, and citizens. Furthermore, RSCN integrates the findings of ongoing projects within its extensive network into TEAMCARE’s objectives, amplifying the project’s impact and relevance.

As part of its core mission, RSCN promotes a life-course approach to Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA). It achieves this by fostering strategic collaborations across sectors to implement multidimensional solutions aimed at preventing disability, frailty, and age-related diseases, while supporting independent living. Additionally, RSCN focuses on accelerating the scaling-up and deployment of innovative digital health and care solutions to enhance health outcomes and ensure the sustainability of health and care systems. In TEAMCARE, this expertise is leveraged through the implementation of a Scaling-Up strategy developed in the context of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA).

RSCN leads Work Package 7 (WP7), which encompasses dissemination, exploitation, scaling-up, and sustainability activities. Specifically, RSCN will:

  • Ensure the project’s impact and dissemination efforts as outlined in the project’s key sections.

  • Perform contextual analysis during the preliminary phase (WP2) by collecting stakeholder feedback through its extensive network.

  • Coordinate the release of essential project deliverables, including the “Roadmap,” “Recommendations,” and “Memorandum of Understanding.”

  • Identify opportunities to scale up the CBIT curriculum and lay the groundwork for post-project Twinnings, fostering sustained collaboration beyond the project’s lifespan.

RSCN’s involvement in TEAMCARE yields significant rewards for the organisation and its 67 accredited AHA Reference Site regions, including:

  • Enhanced understanding of health and social care systems, particularly regarding the horizontal integration of services.

  • Development of expertise in creating curricula and e-learning tools.

  • Expanded networking opportunities for its members, fostering cross-regional collaboration and knowledge exchange.