The Data Connection:
Advancing Integrated Care and Empowering Communities through Data

A Collaborative Effort under the Belgian EU Presidency

On 2–3 May 2024, the Department of Care of the Government of Flanders, under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, hosted the high-level conference “The Data Connection: Advancing Integrated Care and Empowering Communities through Data”. From EUREGHA, we were happy to provide support to the event which brought together over 150 policymakers, practitioners, and researchers from across Europe and beyond to explore how data can serve as a driver for integrated, person-centred health and care systems.

Held in Leuven, the conference examined how both clinical (“hard”) data and social, behavioural, and contextual (“soft”) data can be meaningfully connected across all levels—local, regional, national, and European—to enable more responsive, inclusive, and sustainable care.

Through plenaries, focused breakout sessions, and an innovative matrix mapping exercise, the conference fostered a dynamic and participatory environment. The result is a shared framework that positions data connectivity not as a technical goal, but as a strategic enabler of health system transformation.

Key Insights: Four Building Blocks for Data-Driven Integrated Care

The report that emerged from the conference focuses on four interlinked pillars, each essential to leveraging data for the benefit of communities and health systems alike:

1. Population Health and Wellbeing Management (PH&WM)

Expanding the traditional Population Health Management model, PH&WM incorporates social determinants of health, community engagement, and patient-reported outcomes. It highlights the need for locally grounded, person-centred care enabled by ethical data use and proactive interventions.

2. Neighbourhood Analysis: Measuring What Matters

Neighbourhood Analysis is a community-centred method for identifying health and wellbeing needs at the local level. By combining quantitative data with local knowledge from informal stakeholders, it offers context-specific insights that inform more responsive policy and service design.

3. Behavioural and Cultural Insights (BCI)

Adoption of digital health tools depends on understanding the behaviours, preferences, and cultural contexts of both professionals and patients. BCI helps ensure digital innovations are not only technically effective, but also trusted, inclusive, and tailored to real-world use.

4. Building Trust and Transparency in Health Data

Public trust is foundational to the ethical and effective use of health data. This pillar explores how clear communication, co-created governance, and inclusive engagement can address concerns around privacy and control—ultimately enabling citizens to feel confident in sharing their data for the common good.

Summary of Conclusions

The conference underscored that data—when integrated, contextualised, and governed transparently—can unlock the full potential of person-centred, community-anchored care models. Key takeaways include:

• Health data strategies must combine hard and soft data to be truly inclusive and responsive.
• Communities are active knowledge hubs, not just recipients of care.
• Trust is not built through technology alone but through participatory processes and clear communication.
• Digital tools should be designed for people, not systems—adaptable to diverse needs and behaviours.

Dive into the full report for in-depth reflections, real-world examples, and policy recommendations. Or, start with the visual one-pagers that summarise each pillar of the Data Connection framework.