site.btaNew Project Aims to Ensure Integrated Care for Diabetic Children

A new project aims to provide integrated care for diabetic children in Bulgaria, the For the Good Foundation said in a press release Tuesday. It is a joint project of the Prof. Dr. Ivan Mitev Children's Hospital in Sofia, For the Good Foundation and the expert team of Future Values.

The initiative seeks to introduce a model of integrated care that places the child and their family at the center of treatment and support.

The project will be implemented in three main stages. In the first stage, it will create a dedicated space for diabetic children and their parents at the Children’s Hospital in Sofia for training sessions, workshops, and individual consultations to help the patients and their families better understand and manage the disease. The space is being designed by experts from the For the Good Foundation and the Atelie 3 architectural studio. This part of the project is funded by the Ministry of Health and the hospital.

In the second stage, experts from Future Values will conduct a detailed analysis of the current operations at the Clinic for the Treatment of Children with Endocrine Diseases and Diabetes. The analysis will map the patient journey and examine care processes, including diagnosing, treatment, administrative and organizational challenges, and psycho-social support. The goal is to make more effective use of existing system resources and improve overall care for children with diabetes.

Based on this analysis, in the third stage, a proposal will be developed to improve the current funding model. The proposal will emphasize prevention, integrated care, patient and family education, and disease control. All these measures will aim to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and severe complications. The goal is to ensure that diabetic children not only receive hospital treatment when needed but also have access to knowledge, support, and continuous community-based care.

The project draws inspiration from the Diabeter clinics in the Netherlands, a leading model for diabetes care in children.