Funder: European Commission
Dates: 1st Janaury 2016 - 1st Janaury 2019
Project Description
The CEQUA (Cost-Effectiveness in Quality and Dependency Prevention) project was established to support the development of sustainable, high-quality long-term care systems across the EU. As populations age and informal care capacity declines due to demographic and social changes, there is an urgent need to identify effective strategies to manage rising care needs.
CEQUA brought together academic institutions, policy organisations, and experts from across Europe to generate robust evidence on how to reduce dependency, improve system efficiency, and support independent living for older people. The focus was on cost-effective approaches to prevention, unpaid care, innovative models of care including assistive technologies, and integrated care.
By synthesising international evidence and highlighting transferable innovations, CEQUA helped inform public investment decisions and contributed to building more resilient and person-centred long-term care systems across the EU.
Geographic Coverage and Network Composition
A total of ten EU countries were represented in the core Network: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
In addition, academic experts from the core Network — specifically from CASE in Poland— gathered evidence from Central and Eastern European countries: the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
Core Network Members
- London School of Economics and Political Science (91桃色), UK
- University of Tampere, Finland
- University of Bremen, Germany
- University of Barcelona, Spain
- Stockholm University & Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Austria
- French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), France
- EHESP School of Public Health, France
- Italian National Research Centre on Ageing (INRCA), Italy
- National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland
- Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Sweden
- Centre for Social and Economic Research (CASE), Poland
Associated Organisations
Aims
The aim of the Network was to support the development of long-term care policy across the EU by identifying evidence on key strategies to reduce care needs and improve cost-effectiveness. An overarching objective was to foster cross-country learning. The focus was on age-acquired disabilities.
The Network synthesised evidence on risk factors associated with increased care needs, interventions to prevent or delay dependency, and measures to enhance system efficiency and coordination. The close involvement of policy-makers ensured that these syntheses were presented in a clear and policy-relevant format.
Methods
To meet its objectives, the Network reviewed and synthesised European and international evidence on policies and interventions across five key themes:
- Theme 1: What are the trends in disability across the EU?
- Theme 2: What interventions could reduce dependency cost-effectively?
- Theme 3: What interventions and policy measures can support unpaid carers effectively?
- Theme 4: What innovative care models or technologies could improve outcomes for people with LTC needs?
- Theme 5: What strategies can maximise coordination in care provision?
For each theme, the Network produced a Thematic Report containing an evidence synthesis based on international literature reviews of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of relevant interventions, supplemented by summaries of local policy documents. Each report also examined how policy measures influence patterns of care, associated costs, and outcomes.
In addition to these thematic reviews, the project conducted a series of in-depth studies exploring innovative schemes in selected European countries, with a focus on system-level approaches to improving cost-effectiveness and managing demand for care.
The Network also produced policy briefs and country reports for ten European countries, summarising evidence related to Themes 2 to 5 and highlighting national policies, practices, and challenges.
