As COVID-19 has evolved into a global pandemic, countries’ needs have rapidly shifted. The novel virus has sent policymakers and practitioners across the globe searching for new approaches and practices to both manage the immediate impact of the virus and also its fallout on health and health systems more broadly. In the wake of this global challenge, the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN) recently announced its intention to pivot towards technical support for countries in the COVID-19 response. Aceso Global, a JLN Technical Facilitator, is supporting these efforts through a new JLN initiative focused on strengthening the ability of health systems to support COVID and non-COVID patients across the care continuum.
The new Aceso Global-led JLN initiative, COVID-19: Triaging the Patient Journey, will allow countries to jointly explore emerging successful models and strategies related to integration of care and functions to better manage patient flows across the care continuum. The initiative will cover improved processes for triaging, testing, treatment and follow-up of patients as they move across health system levels (e.g., home, community, primary care and hospitals), including leveraging technology and telemedicine. It will also delve into strategies for linking public health functions with the healthcare system. Participating countries will learn from practitioners and each other how to support the patient journey through a patient-centered approach, information that is relevant for COVID-19 and beyond.
The exact content and outputs of the initiative will be determined by country participants themselves. This country-driven approach is more important than ever as Aceso Global and the JLN seek to provide timely, relevant and useful technical support to countries as they address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aceso Global will continue to serve as Technical Facilitator for the ongoing JLN Population Targeting Learning Collaborative. To be responsive to the shift in country demand, the timeline for the Population Targeting Collaborative has been extended.
For more information on how to participate in the new initiative, please contact: mlambert@acesoglobal.org