The Hellenic Red Cross (Hellenic RC) has a long and rich history of healthcare and health management. In recent years, the Hellenic RC has taken great steps to improve the quality of healthcare and health management in Greece. Facilitated by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Delegation, the Hellenic Red Cross and 510 (the Data & Digital initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross) developed an innovative Health Case Management System. This is a digital tool to easily monitor the health of People Affected in Greece. This system is an essential instrument for ensuring that the highest standards of healthcare are met. It enables Hellenic RC health professionals to effectively monitor, manage and improve the quality of healthcare services provided to their patients across Greece. It also allows timely planning so that the necessary resources and health staff are available to meet the health needs of the population. The successful implementation of the health management system by the Hellenic RC is instrumental for improved access to more efficient & qualitative healthcare, thereby improving the health of the population. The Health Case Management System is currently fully operational and will be officially handed over to the Hellenic Red Cross this year.
The Health Case Management System
The main purpose of the Health Case Management System is to provide a comprehensive and organized way for the Hellenic RC to manage and track patient health. Whenever someone visits the health team of the Hellenic RC for the first time, they can be registered in the system. From then on, any health services (such as medications and vaccinations) provided to the person can be added to their file. In addition, health staff can note their diagnoses and add referrals to state hospitals for example. The system is hosted online, which means it can be accessed by any Hellenic RC health staff in any location within Greece, an important feature of the system since the people affected often move between locations within Greece. The system therefore streamlines the process of managing patient records and information, making it easier for healthcare providers, Red Cross staff and volunteers across Greece to access and update records quickly. The system is available in English and Greek and is directly linked to a PowerBI dashboard which shows real-time and anonymized data on visits, vaccinations, medications and referrals. It’s used by the Hellenic RC health team to track the progress of their team’s activities, to instantly report on the latest numbers and to easily identify opportunities for health interventions.
Benefits of the system
- Easily manage and track patient health
- User-friendly dashboard showing real-time and anonymized data
- Accessible by health staff in any location within Greece
- Easily identify opportunities for health interventions
- Available in multiple languages
Dashboard of the Health Case Management System
A word from the president of the Hellenic Red Cross
‘The Hellenic Red Cross (Hellenic RC) has a very positive and creative collaboration with the Netherlands Red Cross in the area of information management, which lead to the creation of a health case management system for the Educational Health Stations of the Hellenic RC, which is now fully operational. The Health Stations of the Hellenic Red Cross, with its specially trained nursing staff, take care of public hygiene by conducting pre-symptomatic checks, making home visits and epidemiological research, while cooperating with the local Health Services for the control of infectious & communicable diseases. This important project is strengthened by the creation of the health case management system which will help improve overall treatment of the patients through direct electronic information about their health history and also to create safe statistical results for the initiatives of the Health Sector, contributing drastically to the improvement and effectiveness of their work. We sincerely thank the Netherlands Red Cross for the great contribution to our work and we hope to continue and strengthen our cooperation and mutual support in other areas of common interest.
– Antonios Avgerinos (President Hellenic Red Cross)
Timeline of the project
The design of the Health Case Management system kicked off the collaboration between 510 and the Hellenic RC, facilitated by the IFRC delegation in Greece, in April 2022. 510 visited different locations in which the health team of the Hellenic RC operates and conducted a design sprint to understand the exact needs of the end users, to build a minimum viable product, and to conduct user tests to improve it. The product development was continued from the Netherlands with frequent meetings between the Hellenic RC health team and the head of the IFRC delegation and 510, to make sure the final product would meet the needs of the end users. This effort was strengthened by Analytics for a Better World, who provided pro-bono technical assistance in the form of Laura Medendorp, Leonie Cazemier and Charlotte van der Valk. 510 professional volunteer Ina Gkotse also supported the project by translating the health case management system and the data and digital responsibility training into Greek. The product was completed in October and in November it was piloted in one Hellenic RC health location namely the Educational Health Station Athens. The Health Case Management System is currently fully operational and will be officially handed over to the Hellenic Red Cross this year.
Timeline HCMS 2022 & 2023
“The development of the Health Case Management System has been transformational for the Hellenic Red Cross, enabling the National Society to better collect and analyze data in real-time with the view to better serving those most in need. 510’s human-centered design approach has been instrumental in ensuring meaningful engagement of system users throughout its development, ensuring that the system and its impact are sustainable for the long-term.”
Jessie Thomson (Head of Delegation, IFRC Greece)
Human Centered Design
The methodology used for the design of the Health Case Management System was Human Centered Design (HCD). HCD is a design process that focuses on the user’s needs and wants, making the end product more likely to succeed and be adopted and used for its purpose. It emphasizes empathy and understanding of the user’s problems, as well as the implementation of solutions that are tailored to them. The Hellenic RC recognizes the value of Human Centered Design and understands how it helps create products, services, and experiences that are truly meaningful to the user It ensures that products are accessible and usable for everyone, no matter their abilities or background.
Training of users on the health system in the Educational Health station.
(Athens, Greece, November 2022)
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is a crucial part of the humanitarian network (and prioritized by the IFRC), as it is the process of leveraging digital technology to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of the various aspects of humanitarian aid. It is a powerful tool for improving the delivery of humanitarian aid, improving information sharing, and helping the organization and its stakeholders better understand the various components of the humanitarian network. During the pilot in Athens, 510 trained health leads to use the dashboard and the IT department on basic maintenance of the system. After the official handover of the system has been completed, 510 will remain available for dashboard maintenance support and more intricate requests. The Hellenic RC will continue its Digital Transformation efforts with the support of 510 and the IFRC Delegation in Greece.
‘510 piloted the Health Case Management System and trained the users on how to use it and how to do that in a data & digitally responsible manner to ensure data is handled ethically and securely’
Corina Markodimitraki (Technical Project Coordinator 510)
Data & Digital Responsibility Policy
Information about individuals and communities in need is essential to provide effective and personalized health aid. 510’s data responsibility policy addresses the responsible processing of data concerning ethical standards and in line with principles in the humanitarian context, bearing in mind potential consequences and taking measures to avoid putting individuals or communities at risk. All users of the Health Case Management System have been trained to use the health case management system using Data & Digital Responsibility principles. In addition, a Data protection impact assessment with the team has been conducted. Read more on 510’s data responsibility policy here
Next steps
The Hellenic RC is looking into expanding the use of the health case management system to more locations within Greece. Their 4-year National Society development plan has specifically identified Digital Transformation as a key area of work and the Hellenic RC will continue its collaboration with 510 and the IFRC Delegation in Greece to advance these efforts, focusing the development of new and innovative digital solutions to tackle their operational challenges.