It can be a challenge to provide highly specialised treatment or care to patients with complex conditions.<\/p>\n
This is especially true in rare diseases. This challenge is due both to the scarcity of expertise and to the spread of small patient populations in the EU, sometimes in isolated locations where expertise does not exist or is inaccessible.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of 2017, the European Commission approved the first European Reference Networks (ERNs). The ERNs offer a unique opportunity for physicians to work cross-border in healthcare in Europe.<\/p>\n
European Reference Networks (ERNs) create a clear governance structure for knowledge exchange and care coordination across the European Union to improve access to diagnosis and treatment, as well as the provision of high-quality healthcare for patients. They are networks of centres of excellence and care providers, organised across borders.<\/p>\n