Position paper on community care

Europe faces rising demand for health services at a time when public spending is under pressure and there are ever fewer healthcare professionals. The elderly population is expanding and chronic diseases are on the rise, yet the number of taxpayers contributing to national treasuries is shrinking.

The need to find smarter ways to use scarce resources prompts industry, policymakers, payers and patients to cast a cold eye on existing care delivery models with a willingness to complete bold reforms in the interest of sustainability.

This paper looks at how community care can help to address these challenges. A shift from hospital-based to community care for certain categories of patient could help deliver vital efficiencies. Hospitals can be expensive, impersonal and risky places in which to deliver care that does not require a high-tech and specialised environment. In addition, many patients and their families prefer community-based treatment.