EGALURG project

to improve health care in emergencies and disasters

What is it?

France and Spain share 656 km of border running straight through the Pyrenees mountain range. This geographic situation makes land communication between the two countries more difficult and can also limit access to emergency care for the people who live in these areas.

Thanks to the EGALURG Project (POCTEFA EFA 305/19), a cross-border cooperation network has been created to promote equal access to emergency and/or disaster healthcare by overcoming legal barriers and through specialized emergency training, technological development and innovation.

Within the framework of the POCTEFA Program, the EGALURG Project has been targeted for investment in social and healthcare infrastructure that contributes to national, regional and local development and reduces healthcare inequalities. It is also closely aligned with the area of specific risk assessment and intervention and the development of systems for managing disasters.

Mission and goals

The mission of the European EGALURG network is to reduce inequality of access to emergency healthcare in both remote areas and where the accident takes place. The following specific goals have been set to achieve this mission:

Goal 1.

To harmonize patient care practices and protocols to be prepared for and manage an emergency or crisis situation.

Goal 2.

To promote complete, coherent training on both sides of the border to ensure better collaboration between professionals.

Goal 3.

To develop innovative tools to increase efficiency in emergencies or disasters.

Partnership

The European EGALURG Project is being implemented thanks to the cooperation and networking of its four partners. The initiative is led by Toulouse University Hospital (Occitania), which is responsible for coordinating Navarrabiomed – Miguel Servet Foundation (Navarre), the Emergency Medical Services of Catalonia, and the Hospital Center of the Basque Coast in Bayonne (Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Each partner organization enjoys the active participation of a group of associate institutions in each region that collaborate on different project activities.

Work plan

Action 1.

Management and coordination

Partner responsible

Toulouse University Hospital

Goal

To ensure the actions designed in the project are properly developed.

Activities

1.1 Organization of the responsibilities of each partner organization in project actions and activities.

1.2 Setting up a steering and management committee and determining its work methodology.

1.3 Setting up technical and organizational tools for monitoring and assessing actions, decision-making and maneuverability.

Action 2.

Communication

Partner responsible

Navarrabiomed - Miguel Servet Foundation

Goal

To develop the most suitable communication strategy for regional and social dissemination of information on EGALURG development and results. And to generate an internal communication system to guarantee information and knowledge exchange among partner organizations.

Activities

2.1 Developing the communication plan.

2.2 Creating the website.

2.3 Disseminating information on project development and results.

2.4 Organizing annual international conferences on disaster medicine.

Action 3.

Being ready for disasters by preparing and managing major events

Partner responsible

Hospital Center of the Basque Coast

Goal

To design a joint protocol for mass gatherings and write an article with recommendations.

Activities

3.1 Status of measures created for mass gatherings (description of structures and protocols).

3.2 Professional exchanges at major French-Spanish and international events.

3.3 Proposal for shared procedures and international guidelines.

Action 4.

Cross-border cooperation in trauma and disaster medicine

Partner responsible

Emergency Medical Services of Catalonia

Goal

To develop and test cross-border care protocols individually and as a group.

Activities

4.1 Creation of an operative list of resources for managing demand for extra-hospital support on both sides of the French-Spanish border.

4.2 Creation of specific action protocols for trauma care (individually).

4.3 Creation of specific action protocols (in disaster medicine).

4.4 Test on the legal framework.

Action 5.

Training and education

Partner responsible

Emergency Medical Services of Catalonia

Goal

To design and implement coherent training on both sides of the border to improve collaboration between professionals.

Activities

5.1 Designing and creating a blended-learning European master’s diploma on emergency and disaster medicine.

5.2 Designing and implementing a continuous training program for healthcare professionals.

5.3 Carrying out educational research on critical situations using simulation as a tool.

Action 6.

Technological research, development and innovation

Partner responsible

Toulouse University Hospital

Goal

To design and develop innovative tools to provide a better response in situations involving an emergency or disaster.

Activities

6.1 Creating local/regional registers and the shared cross-border platform to handle patients suffering from polytrauma.

6.2 Innovation in communication tools.

6.3 Deploying a mobile hospital.

6.4 Developing an operating cross-border mobile command station.