6.E Integrated long term care services: a first reality check of emerging challenges and opportunities based on FLINT
| Thursday, May 15, 2025 |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM |
| Room 6 - Almada Negreiros |
Speaker
Dr Albert Alonso
Senior Researcher
FRCB - IDIBAPS
Integrated long term care services: a first reality check of emerging challenges and opportunities based on FLINT
Abstract
Background: As Europe faces demographic ageing and a growing number of people with long-term care (LTC) needs, systems must evolve to offer more integrated, person-centred, and sustainable solutions. The EU-funded Laurel project aims to identify regional differences in integrated long-term care (I-LTC) provision, while developing actionable policies to address pressing challenges—such as workforce shortages, affordability, access inequalities, and the need for systemic reform. In this context, Laurel has developed the European Framework for Long-Term Integrated Care Services (FLINT), a tool designed to characterise I-LTC practices and identify areas for improvement.
Workshop approach: This 60-minute interactive session builds on insights from the 2024 ICIC workshop and introduces the application of FLINT in the field. The session begins with a short overview of the Laurel project and the ICIC24 policy recommendations. It then focuses on how FLINT is being used to map I-LTC practices across Europe.
Participants will actively engage with six core domains of FLINT—people in need for care, unpaid care workforce and communities; paid care workforce and service delivery; organisation of care; ICT and ICT systems; finance; and governance. For each domain, participants will:
• Rate individual components using Forms.
• Reflect and write down perceived facilitators, barriers, and the influence of gender in their own contexts.
A live spider chart will visualise the aggregated ratings in real time, supporting group commentary and reflection. This structure will repeat for each domain.
Closing remarks will summarise key messages and invite participants to join the Laurel community.
Target audience: This workshop is relevant to policy makers, researchers, professionals, patient and carer advocates, and anyone involved in the design, funding, provision, or regulation of I-LTC services. Participation in the ICIC24 workshop is not required.
Expected outcomes: Participants will contribute to the refinement of the use of FLINT in the context of I-LTC initiatives and the Laurel policy agenda by sharing contextual insights from their own systems. Workshop results will be included in a forthcoming Laurel report and support broader dissemination through IFIC’s Ageing and Frailty Special Interest Group.
Workshop approach: This 60-minute interactive session builds on insights from the 2024 ICIC workshop and introduces the application of FLINT in the field. The session begins with a short overview of the Laurel project and the ICIC24 policy recommendations. It then focuses on how FLINT is being used to map I-LTC practices across Europe.
Participants will actively engage with six core domains of FLINT—people in need for care, unpaid care workforce and communities; paid care workforce and service delivery; organisation of care; ICT and ICT systems; finance; and governance. For each domain, participants will:
• Rate individual components using Forms.
• Reflect and write down perceived facilitators, barriers, and the influence of gender in their own contexts.
A live spider chart will visualise the aggregated ratings in real time, supporting group commentary and reflection. This structure will repeat for each domain.
Closing remarks will summarise key messages and invite participants to join the Laurel community.
Target audience: This workshop is relevant to policy makers, researchers, professionals, patient and carer advocates, and anyone involved in the design, funding, provision, or regulation of I-LTC services. Participation in the ICIC24 workshop is not required.
Expected outcomes: Participants will contribute to the refinement of the use of FLINT in the context of I-LTC initiatives and the Laurel policy agenda by sharing contextual insights from their own systems. Workshop results will be included in a forthcoming Laurel report and support broader dissemination through IFIC’s Ageing and Frailty Special Interest Group.
Paper Number
373
Biography
Albert Alonso, MD PhD, is a senior researcher at the Clinic Barcelona Research Foundation (FRCB-IDIBAPS).
His work focuses on the definition, evaluation and implementation of new models for the provision of health services, with special emphasis on integrated care models and long-term care. He has participated in numerous R & D projects, and, at present, he coordinates the EU-funded Laurel project.
He is a regular lecturer in undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He is senior associate at International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC) having hold the positions of vice-chair and chair of IFIC.
