eCAN Plus

Purpose

The purpose of eCAN Plus is to spread digital health solutions to citizens, patients, and healthcare professionals to strengthen prevention and treatment of cancer in all of Europe.

Goals

• To improve digital treatment collaboration across cancer centers and organizations.
• To develop and implement an educational program for both patients, citizens, and healthcare professionals, so they better can utilize technologies for the benefit of cancer treatment and care.
• To implement digital solutions for cancer treatment and – prevention in the healthcare system and explore the possibilities for use of these solutions.
• To develop and implement an integrated framework for digital follow-up and telemonitoring of cancer patients in Europe.

Overall, eCAN Plus wishes to create an effective digital ecosystem that supports cancer treatment across borders and ensures that all relevant actors – both patients and healthcare professionals – are well equipped to navigate the digital health world.

Background

The aim of eCAN Plus is to bring the benefits of digital health to all citizens, patients and health care professionals to improve cancer prevention and care across Europe. 

The project involves 23 EU countries and 83 partners working in public health institutes, universities, hospitals, cancer centers and patient associations.

eCAN Plus is a further development of the Joint Action eCAN and draws on experiences from digital health projects among others The Digital Health Centre and EU projects such as DELIVER and Joint Action PreventNCD.

Activities

eCAN Plus is structured in nine work packages, where The Region of Southern Denmark has special roles in the following:

• WP2: Dissemination and Communication
• WP5: Promoting Cancer Prevention and Care through Digital Health Literacy Program (General Population)
• WP6: Collaborative Clinical Decision-Making across Cancer Centers (HCP interactions)
• WP7: Capacity Building for Telemedicine (HCP and Patient interaction)
• WP8: Capacity Building for Effective Telemonitoring and Follow-up,

The Danish partners’ roles and tasks

The Region of Southern Denmark (The Health Innovation Centre of Southern Denmark) has as Competent Authority the responsibility for the total Danish partnership, and the region is involved in several of the project’s work packages.

• The Health Innovation Centre of Southern Denmark has the leadership of WP6 which shall develop and test digital health solutions in all of Europe. In addition, The Health Innovation Centre of Southern Denmark has a significant role in work package 5, which shall promote digital health competencies among professionals, citizens, and patients.
• The Region of Southern Denmark (Odense University Hospital) enters with a special focus on securing coherent patient pathways and good patient transitions between hospital treatment and the primary sector, with focus on among others vulnerable cancer patients.
• The Region of Southern Denmark, Lillebaelt Hospital leads a pilot project within palliative home treatment for cancer patients, which investigates home monitoring and development of guidelines and best practices for digital/telemedical support in palliative care in work package 7.
• The Capital Region of Denmark and The Region Zealand contribute with establishment of Virtual Tumor Board, which shall secure better digital cooperation about diagnostics and treatment of cancer patients.

MEDCOM

MEDCOM’s extensive knowledge of national and European standards will help eCAN Plus to harmonize among other data exchange, and MEDCOM will be part of our technical expert board.

Expected effect

eCAN Plus is expected to result in:

• Improved prevention and treatment of cancer diseases in Europe.
  Improved access to digital health solutions/tools for patients and healthcare professionals.
• Strengthened competencies in the use of digital solutions in cancer treatment and prevention among healthcare professionals and patients.
• Better coordination and communication between cancer centers and organizations.
• Strengthened self-care for patients in treatment pathways.
  Development of standardized digital health solutions across the EU.

Partners

The total partner group of eCAN Plus consists of:

• The Region of Southern Denmark: Lillebaelt Hospital, Odense University Hospital, MEDCOM, The Health Innovation Centre of Southern Denmark.
• Region Zealand and The Capital Region.
• European universities, hospitals, cancer centers and organizations, and patient organizations.

Financing

The project is co-financed by the European Union.

Project period

Start May, 1. 2025 – April 30., 2029.