Success factors

 

  1. By collaborating with WHO, especially in the early stages of the process, ESWI makes its network initiative accepted on political grounds. Also ESWI plays an important role in breaking through national communication barriers as it brings together influenza stakeholders who failed to communicate with each other before. In this respect the gap between GP’s on the one hand and governments, institutes and policy makers on the other hand is a remarkable, but apparently general phenomenon.
  2. Through its efforts, ESWI reveals weaknesses and threats, strengths and opportunities in an acceptable way for the participants. By making the situation explicit and obvious to all stakeholders, ESWI creates a new dynamics in the national influenza networks, as proven by the national action plans.
  3. The process-oriented approach works successfully as it incites national stakeholders to cooperate and to take personal initiatives. It is the fit way to overcome possible opposition within the group and to draw up an action plan that gets the entire networks’ approval and support.
  4. Personal contacts and permanent communication between ESWI and leading individuals and institutes within a specific country are crucial to forge a powerful and dynamic influenza network (cfr. Robert Koch Institute, SMI…)
  5. All three countries show a remarkable gap in communication between GP organizations and other stakeholders. GP’s, being the persons closest to the patients, are often requiring and demanding official guidelines for routine measures to be taken, access to data and statistics, information on the benefits of vaccination and reimbursement.
  6. ESWI’s understanding of the network members’ characteristics, competences, personal goals and mutual relationships is crucial to make the collaboration successful.