PIOEN – An example of citizen participation in healthcare

The local government of Vorselaar wants to reinforce community healthcare in a future-oriented and innovative way and has set up a collaboration with LiCalab Living and Care lab to gain insight into the healthcare needs and expectations of their citizens to guide this process.

A retirement wave in healthcare professionals has put severe pressure on healthcare provision in the municipality of Vorselaar in Belgium and forced residents to look for alternatives in the wider region or postpone essential care. The municipality wants to create an accessible, interdisciplinary healthcare hub, putting the focus on health prevention rather than cure.

In the first phase, 1078 adult individuals from varying ages and social backgrounds participated in a health survey (16,49% of the population). Current needs and expectations regarding primary care practice and health prevention were explored. On October 1st, the interdisciplinary healthcare hub PIOEN opened its doors, taking into account the suggestions and remarks provided by Vorselaar’s citizens in the health survey.

In the second phase, co-creation sessions with citizens, (care) professionals and individuals with low health literacy are currently being conducted to get more in-depth information about these topics and to solicit concrete actions to realize preventative health goals. Vorselaar’s residents are motivated partners in the co-creation process to further shape the health landscape of their municipality.