Building health systems designed for people, not diseases
How do we prevent inequalities in long-term care, especially given Europe’s ageing population? Launched in 2024, the EU-funded BUILD(opens in new window) project set out to map care systems across Europe and study how social inequalities affect access and outcomes. Now in its final year, BUILD is shifting its focus from research and evidence gathering to the active development of solutions aligning care systems with the realities faced by older adults with complex health needs, their caregivers and the professionals supporting them. To do this, it is combining stakeholder engagement, policy analysis and co-creation processes that can point the way to more person-centred, integrated care (PC-IC) throughout the EU.
Exploring scenarios, informing policy
A central pillar of this new phase is the organisation of innovative scenario workshops. These serve as a platform for older care receivers and informal caregivers to share their perspectives on the role of technology in PC-IC. The workshops use fictive yet realistic stories grounded in existing technologies as thought experiments. Participants critique these scenarios, identifying what works and what does not, in this way clarifying their own preferences. This process empowers them to co-create a shared vision for care systems that meet their needs today, rather than waiting for a distant tomorrow. BUILD is also developing evidence-based policy and governance recommendations. These insights will soon be refined through co-design workshops involving stakeholders in five countries and consultations with the project’s Association Board, whose members include policymakers, academics, long-term care experts, gerontologists, older people with complex care needs and older people’s associations. Ultimately, the goal is to produce a comprehensive co-design framework and toolbox. Targeted primarily at policymakers and stakeholders operating at the meso level, these resources will provide practical guidance on using participatory methodologies to co-create PC-IC solutions. The framework incorporates a social-return-on-investment approach, establishing a baseline structure for participatory processes with relevant stakeholders. The toolbox – which supports care system improvements beyond the project’s lifetime – will be made available to the public once finalised. The consortium is currently synthesising these diverse data strands into a unified BUILD baseline strategy. A critical milestone is scheduled for June 2026, when partners will convene in Vienna to finalise the architecture of the common BUILD framework. This gathering will set the stage for the project’s final conference in early 2027, a major event designed to bring together policymakers, researchers and care professionals to discuss the future of integrated long-term care in Europe.
Focus on accessibility
Underpinning all these efforts is the project’s commitment to inclusion, which extends to its digital presence. Recognising that long-term care must respond to the unique needs of every individual regardless of ability, BUILD has integrated a specialised Accessibility Menu(opens in new window) into its website. Located in an orange circle at the bottom-left of the screen (or accessible via the CTRL+U keyboard shortcut), this tool allows visitors to tailor their browsing experience to their specific visual, cognitive or motor requirements. By ensuring their knowledge is accessible to all, the BUILD (Building ecosystems of person-centered integrated care through co-creation) project demonstrates that the path to better care begins with treating every person with equal dignity. For more information, please see: BUILD project website(opens in new window)
