New centre brings medical research and treatment together in Zagreb, Croatia

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The new centre promises to integrate the provision of high-quality paediatric medicine with basic biomedical research units that will work on developing new diagnostics, therapeutic procedures and innovative new medicines. The centre’s work will cover medical fields including asthma, allergies, rheumatology, cardiology, paediatric surgery, sports medicine, rehabilitation and clinical trials.It is expected that the project will increase cure effectiveness and decrease corresponding morbidity and mortality rates for the most prevalent chronic diseases in children by some 5-10%. The centre is expected to attract researchers, which should help to address the ‘brain drain’ problem the country faces.Organisational reformComprehensive organisational reform of the Children's Hospital Srebrnjak forms part of the project remit. The goal is to transform the hospital into a clinical, research and educational platform through which new medicines can be developed and then used in clinical practice.The CCTM will provide a number of innovations that will help increase the efficiency of the centre. Its IT infrastructure will be integrated with the workflow of research and clinical personnel to ensure immediate access to information and maximise the quality of research activities, and patient care.A clinical data repository will allow for the creation of a real-time database that consolidates information from various clinical sources to provide a comprehensive overview of a patient. Everything about the patient’s treatment and care will be stored in digital format. Plus, a digital portal will be established to provide secure, 24-hour access to electronic medical records, scheduling, billing, registration and educational materials, which patients can access from any connective device.Green credentialsThrough a sustainable design and the selection and use of ‘green’ building products, the CCTM delivers environmentally friendly credentials. In addition, the centre will invest in recycling and reuse of materials while reducing waste and water consumption. This will help reduce long-term energy costs and improve indoor air quality. There has been a documented 12-15 % improvement in the productivity of medical personnel and better patient outcomes through the implementation of green building designs.Upon completion of this project, the existing hospital building will become a pediatric outpatient clinic and continue to house the clinical trials unit.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “Centre of Competence for Translational Medicine - CCTM” is EUR 59 700 876 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 48 335 474 through the “Competitiveness and Cohesion” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Research and innovation”.