Laurel Project highlighted progress on Integrated Long-Term Care at ICIC26
The Laurel Project was well represented at ICIC26, organised by project partners at the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), contributing to important discussions on the future of Integrated Long-Term Care (I-LTC) across Europe. Across a number of presentations and sessions, the project highlighted its work to support more sustainable, equitable and person-centred long-term care systems, with a strong focus on policy, digital transformation, and the needs of both formal and informal carers.
A key contribution was Laurel’s participatory workshop on policy recommendations for I-LTC. The session brought together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and representatives of patient and carer organisations to explore how emerging recommendations could be implemented across diverse European health and care systems. Participants examined regulatory frameworks, workforce and education, financing and resource allocation, and governance structures, identifying practical enablers, barriers and opportunities for system-level change.
The workshop generated constructive discussion and valuable feedback, helping to refine Laurel’s policy recommendations and strengthen their relevance for EU and national stakeholders. It also underlined the importance of recognising Europe’s societal and cultural diversity when designing integrated long-term care solutions.
Among the project’s presentations, Sara Canella from EHTEL highlighted the Digital Maturity Assessment Toolkit (DMAT). Her presentation focused on how the toolkit can support sustainable and equitable digital transformation in integrated long-term care, particularly through prevention, technology adoption and evidence-based policy development. This contribution demonstrated Laurel’s commitment to ensuring that digital innovation is not only technically effective, but also aligned with the needs of care systems, professionals, carers and the people they support.
Overall, Laurel’s participation in ICIC26 provided a valuable opportunity to share emerging project results, gather insight from international experts, and build momentum around integrated approaches to long-term care. The positive engagement across the workshop and presentations reflected the growing importance of I-LTC in European policy and practice, and reinforced Laurel’s role in supporting practical, evidence-informed change.