Validation of the European Prototype for Integrated Care at municipal level in Savona: updating and maintenance

A European Prototype for Integrated Care (EPIC) was set up in the early nineties within one of the programmes sponsored by the European Commission. The system mainly consists of a shared care database in which each groups of facilities is supported by a local area network (LAN). Each LAN is connected over a wide area network to a central node. The system can manage telemedicine tools, such as telealarm and telecardiology equipment. One of the validation sites for EPIC was established in Savona (Italy). Subsequently, the system in Savona has gone through successful validation and increasing integration with the region´s health and social care system. Maintenance and updating criteria of the system for routine use are described.