EU recovery plan for health tech - Italy

Member States must develop national plans for recovery and resilience which include measures for the implementation of public investment and reforms; they may also include public schemes aimed at stimulating private investment. Please find more information about the selected areas of interest in Italy.

Investments in health and technology: selected areas of interest

Proximity networks, structures and telemedicine for territorial health assistance (7.00bn)¹

Investment: Home as the first place of care and telemedicine

Resources: 4,000m (loans)

The goal: identify a shared model for the provision of home care, which makes the most of the possibilities offered by new technologies (telemedicine, home automation, digitization); use telemedicine to better support patients with chronic diseases.

Funding: The specific intervention for telemedicine provides the financing of telemedicine projects proposed by the Regions on the basis of the priorities and guidelines defined by the Ministry of Health. To obtain funding, the projects must first of all be able to integrate with the Electronic Health Record. Priority will be given to projects that focus on several Regions, and aim to build real "telemedicine platforms" that are easily scalable. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the allocation of resources to telemedicine programs is expected.

Innovation, research and digitization of the national health service (8.63bn)

Investment: Modernisation of technological and digital hospital park

Resources: 4,052.41m (loans)

The goal: digital modernization of the hospital, through the purchase of new high-tech equipment; interventions to enhance the digitization level of healthcare facilities; publication of procurement procedures, and conclusion of contracts for the provision of services for the digitization of hospitals; structural strengthening of the NHS hospitals.

Funding: the purchase of the new technologically advanced equipment will take place by 2024.

Investment: Technological infrastructure and tools for collection, processing, data analysis and simulation

Resources: 1,672.54m (loans)

The goal: The investment is aimed at two main objectives: the strengthening of the Electronic Health Record; the strengthening of the New Information System Healthcare.

Funding: The targets will be jointly managed by the Ministry of Health, MEF and the Ministry for Digital Transition.

Training, scientific research and technological transfer

Investment: Development of technical, professional, digital and managerial skills of NHS personnel

Resources: 737.6m (loans)

The goal: finance 900 additional scholarships each year of the three-year period for specific three-year courses in general medicine; provide for an extraordinary training plan on hospital infections; increase managerial and digital skills for NHS professionals; finance a number of 4,200 specialized training contracts with a duration of 5 years.

Funding: The training will have to be completed for a first part by mid-2024 and for the remaining part by mid-2026. The cost of specialist training contracts will be distributed along the five-year period 2022-2026.

Lastly, we note the presence of investments in:

• Community houses and taking charge of the person
• Intermediate health care and its facilities
• Safe and sustainable hospitals
• Biomedical research of the NHS

The Regions, directly or through their local health admin offices "ASL", are responsible for the execution and management of investments. To access the bonus quota of the National Health Fund, the Regions will be required to reach the defined annual objectives and meet the required annual milestones. The Ministry of Health, as responsible administration, will activate resources and procedures to monitor the progress of the investment. Everything will be defined between the Government and the Regions with a specific State-Regions Agreement.