Valnerina implements proactive healthcare model for elderly residents

Azienda Usl Umbria 2 is implementing a proactive healthcare model known as ‘Medicina d’Iniziativa’ (Initiative Medicine) in the Valnerina district to address the challenges of an aging and shrinking population. This strategy aims to provide care directly within the community to reduce the need for elderly patients and those with chronic conditions to travel long distances to hospitals.

The initiative focuses on two primary chronic conditions affecting residents over 65: heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). By integrating general practitioners, local nursing staff, and day-hospital teams, the district creates personalized specialist pathways for patients.

Early results from the proximity model indicate significant improvements, including a 30 percent reduction in requests for specialist visits and a decrease in pharmaceutical spending over a three-month period. The district’s management of heart failure was previously recognized as a best practice by the Sant’Anna Institute of Pisa in 2023.