Linkcare: health information sharing platform for integrated care

The LINKCARE project had a focus on the provision of healthcare services designed to contribute to the change in the way care is delivered to chronic patients. Its objective was to overcome the problems associated to fragmentation of care at a time when more pressure is being put on providers to optimise the services offer. This required the facilitation of new working practices for health professionals, more ubiquitous and mobile, with solutions that could support a multiplicity of working profiles. To achieve this objective, the project was founded on two pillars: 1) the use of a standard architecture with interoperability concerns; and 2) the development of a business plan demonstrating future viability of the services. During the project, pilot installations were run. At the completion of the project, a complete SOA architecture had been developed. This constituted the basis for the creation of a spin-off company that started the commercial production of products. This company was the embryo of the current Linkcare Health Technology. Linkcare provides a health information sharing platform, a closed and secure system that connects all health care providers and electronic health record systems. Linkcare’s mobility modules for smartphones and tablets, and Linkcare’s Patient Portal can promote patient engagement on daily health care. By using Linkcare’s patient mobility and portal, case managers can schedule a variety of self-administered assessment and follow up forms and medical device measurements.