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Public Health

ERNs and COVID-19

In the context of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commission launched the COVID-19 Clinical Management Support System (CMSS).

The aim is to support doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in hospitals that are currently dealing with COVID-19 cases all over the EU, UK and the EEA countries.

This system allows professionals to identify their peers in other countries and centres and help them communicate easily with colleagues.

Why joining the CMSS?

Based on the experience with the European Reference Networks, the initiative allows to identify colleagues and receive periodical updates of a database including their names and contact details. The system helps create rapid connections across Europe among healthcare professionals and hospitals involved in the management of COVID-19.

Relevant information related with COVID-19 and ERNs will be periodically distributed to the recipients of this database.

For joining the system, please register online.

How does it work

Once registered, participants will receive the contact details of the participant clinicians.

The treatment of the personal information of the participants complies with the Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data. See the specific Privacy Statement.

The system, in operation since 23 March 2020, was presented to the competent national authorities during EU’s Health Security Committee and has been widely advertised to the healthcare professionals’ community.

The ERN Board of Member States fully supports the COVID-19 CMSS initiative, and is committed to making it known and in assisting its implementation in their respective countries.

The scope of the project is to focus exclusively on the support of clinicians in their daily practice. It doesn't aim to address the strategic, organisational, logistical and public health (epidemiological or surveillance) aspects of the pandemic.

What is the ERNs system doing to help patients affected by rare diseases and COVID-19?

The ERNs are facing unprecedented challenge to help patients affected by rare diseases who are also infected with the new coronavirus to receive care and cure adequate to their specific situation. Several ERNs have set up targeted initiatives.

ERNs Webinars

In the context of the “COVID-19 Clinical Management Support System” launched by the European Commission, DG SANTE organised a series of webinars to support clinicians and other healthcare professionals at the frontline of the care of COVID-19 patients.

Based on the experience with the European Reference Networks (ERNs), these series of webinars brought the expertise and recommendations of some of the experts of the 24 ERNs in the management of some of the more complex cases of patients suffering at the same time of COVID-19 and a rare or complex disease or conditions.

Useful information

Useful links