HPDnet: The Future of Child and Adolescent Healthcare – Integrating Hospital Pediatric Departments into Health Networks in order to Improve Patient-Centered Care for Children with Kidney Disease
The Project HPDnet
Background
The number of children and adolescents with chronic diseases has grown dramatically worldwide in the last ten years and confronts health care providers with an increasing demand for coordination. Hospital pediatric departments (HPDs) are a core element of care for chronically ill children and adolescents in Germany. The project "HPDnet" focuses on the analysis of the care of pediatric patients with complex, multi-centre care needs based on the case of (chronic) kidney disease.
The number of HPDs in Germany that specializes in pediatric nephrology is comparatively small. In addition, the treatment of pediatric patients with (chronic) kidney disease involves a large number of different health care providers and caregivers. As a result, medical care requires a high degree of coordination and cooperation among health care providers, pediatric patients and their caregivers, which is typically characterized as a considerable source of inefficiencies.
Project aims
The aim of the interdisciplinary research group within UoC Emerging Group is to analyze how HPDs can be efficiently organized in health care networks to improve coordination between the different actors and the quality of care for children and adolescents with chronic diseases.
Project structure
The project comprises of four main work packages (WP). Research focus is laid on the analysis of structures, networks, and care processes in pediatric departments of hospitals. Work in all packages can be linked to care-determining and to patient-relevant endpoints. In addition, the different perspectives of stakeholders will be considered and evaluated.
Based on the results from the different work packages, a process-oriented intervention to improve coordination and cooperation will be designed, thus improving the care of pediatric patients with (chronic) kidney disease.
Contact
UoC Emerging Group HPDnet
- Email: hpdnet-info
uni-koeln.de
Prof. Dr Ludwig Kuntz (Consortium management)
University of Cologne – Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences
Department of Business Administration and Health Care Management
- Tel.: +49 221 470- 5417
Prof. Dr Daniel Wiesen
University of Cologne – Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences
Department of Business Administration and Health Care Management
- Tel.: +49 221 470- 89171
Prof. Dr Holger Pfaff
Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science of the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cologne (IMVR)
Center for Health Services Research Cologne (ZVFK)
Prof. Dr Stephanie Stock
Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Cologne (IGKE)
Priv.-Doz. Dr Nadine Scholten
Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science of the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Cologne (IMVR)
Prof. Dr Lutz T. Weber
Clinic and Polyclinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine University Hospital Cologne
Prof. Dr Jörg Dötsch
Clinic and Polyclinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine University Hospital Cologne
The Emerging Group is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of the Excellent Research Support Program (ERSP) of the University of Cologne.