Looking back on two years of collaboration
In 2022, during the development of the first guideline for post-COVID care, it was decided in collaboration with ZonMw to set up a temporary facility. This was necessary to bring the parties involved into contact with each other and to keep them informed of the latest developments in care for people with long-term complaints after COVID-19. Because the condition was still relatively unknown, it was expected that healthcare developments would follow quickly and a guideline would quickly become outdated.
C-support and the Long Alliance Netherlands (LAN), with a subsidy from ZonMw, took on the task of setting up the platform “Knowledge exchange COVID-19 recovery and aftercare” for two years. The platform aimed to inform the parties involved on a regular basis about the care for people with post-COVID.
Better collaboration and knowledge sharing
The meetings focused on knowledge sharing, jointly identifying bottlenecks in care and coordinating activities. This platform has contributed to better cooperation between the organisations involved, which indirectly benefited the support of people with post-COVID complaints. The platform was mainly intended to share knowledge and create a network through meetings. It was temporary in nature, because this function of knowledge exchange ultimately had to be embedded in the existing care structures and networks.
Evaluation of the role of the platform
The platform was closed after two years. This was due to the termination of the subsidy, which was known in advance, and the natural takeover of its function by other platforms, such as the PCNN. It was evaluated after these two years and appears to have played an important connecting role in a dynamic healthcare landscape. In a period in which guidelines quickly became outdated and there was no good network for post-COVID care, the platform has been of great value. During the two years, twelve meetings were organised, with 51 participating organisations. Many different themes were discussed, from healthcare questions to practical bottlenecks.
However, there were also some limitations. The platform had no mandate, which resulted in a certain non-bindingness for the participating organizations. The distribution of the information to the supporters was not always self-evident and is an important point of attention for the future. Despite these limitations, setting up a temporary platform in a period of uncertainty and rapid change was a valuable experience, which can also serve as an example in the future when dealing with new and unknown care needs.
The platform has shown that collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential in the care of people with post-COVID complaints and offers valuable lessons for improving care structures in the future.
