Italy Needs to Reform Primary Care to Contrast the Aging of the Population

Conference: The European Conference on Aging & Gerontology (EGen2022)
Title: Italy Needs to Reform Primary Care to Contrast the Aging of the Population
Stream: Lifespan Health Promotion
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Authors:
Fabrizio Faggiano, University of Piemonte Orientale, Italy
Alberto Dal Molin, University of Piemonte Orientale, Italy
Daniela Capello, University of Piemonte Orientale, Italy
Silvia Caristia, University of Piemonte Orientale, Italy

Abstract:

After the COVID Pandemic, Italy will be confronted with another perfect storm, the overwhelming aging of population. Life expectancy increased by 6.1 years 1999-2019, while life expectancy without disability only increased by 4.7 years. The Italian NHS appears to better perform in the Hospital side, then in prevention.
This makes it imperative to reform primary care, to improve the population's wellbeing and to reduce the risk of default of the health system.
This communication will discuss the results of some projects conducted by the University of Piemonte Orientale (UPO), in which the authors participated, to suggest innovations in primary care.
Methods: Results of two EU projects (Reaction and Vigour), evaluating two interventions in Primary care, and two experimental studies, assessing the impact of organisation choices in Primary care, will be used.
Discussion: Preliminary data from Vigour project identified unmet health needs in those elderly people who live alone, highlighting the crucial role of population health needs assessment in primary care. The Reaction experimentation is assessing the role of telemedicine as a solution to these problems. UPO conducted two further studies: a real world observation, which confirmed that the implementation of Local Health Houses is able to reduce the rate of inappropriate accesses to Hospitals, and a RCT which role is to assess the impact of a family nurse-centered model of primary care in reducing chronic diseases and in promoting personalised programs aimed at disease prevention. These data confirm the crucial role of the primary care in building a resilient health system.

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