Enhancing the value of clinical networks for rare diseases

Healthcare networks for rare diseases are developing around the world, concentrating expertise and knowledge from China and Japan to the United States and across Europe. Networked care is scaling up as an effective model of care for rare diseases, with prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment administered locally, informed by the body of knowledge and expertise from the whole network. Now, as the United Nations encourages the development of rare disease networks in all countries, it is timely to reflect on the key characteristics of an effective network. This article aims to identify the core themes needed for a clinical network to be healthy. This article drawing on experience from existing networks through a series of semi-structured interviews, insights from leaders of existing networks are then triangulated with the published evidence. The review aims to identify the themes that allow a clinical network to be effective and flourish. Healthcare networks are best understood as learning systems to generate collaborative knowledge used to inform the best possible care. Six themes are consistently reported in the literature and leaders’ experience: Trust, Communication, Leadership, Learning, Diversity and Resources. Learning together is a key element of the success of effective networks and is most effective when networks are professionally multi-cultural and diverse, including the voices of people living with a rare disease. Patient representative involvement is fundamental to network collaboration and is recognized as a key aspect of early successes. Clinical leadership is critical to providing legitimacy and trust, creating a common identity and promoting collaboration. Networks take time, resources and coordination to develop. Although in-kind support and voluntary contributions of network members are important, inadequate resourcing is a critical barrier to the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of networks. This review explores the core themes of effective networks. Through harnessing digital solutions that enable experts to coordinate care virtually across a clinical network, healthcare for people living with a rare disease is evolving to meet their complex needs. However, payment models to finance these models of care still lag behind innovative healthcare delivery models.