“Everyone should be part of a healthy and caring society.” That’s the ambition of Departement Zorg. How does Alivia fit into this vision?

Hanne Verheust (Departement Zorg - Policy Officer): Alivia is a vital tool in our pursuit of goal-oriented and integrated care. It supports people with complex care needs, places them at the center of the care process, and connects them with their care team. This promotes transparency and collaboration, with the aim of delivering care that is better tailored to their needs.

Bert Taelman (Departement Zorg - Product Owner): Alivia focuses on care continuity. We want to avoid situations where people have to repeatedly explain their story to new caregivers. With Alivia, individuals with care needs can assemble their own care team and share information transparently and securely. It’s truly a game changer.

Camille Vanremoortele (KPMG - Program Manager): Alivia also responds to societal trends where people want more control over their care and access to their data. This platform empowers them, both literally and figuratively. So, the question wasn’t, “Can we do this?” but “How do we do this?”

Why did you choose a goal-oriented and integrated care approach?

Hanne: Goal-oriented and integrated care is essential for maintaining quality, affordability, and accessibility in healthcare. The aging population and rising healthcare costs force us to reorganize healthcare. Integrated care, where health and social services work together to meet the citizen’s needs, is crucial. Alivia facilitates this by bringing together all stakeholders, from informal caregivers to professional care providers.

Bert: A key focus is on informal caregivers, who play a crucial role in the well-being of people with care needs while helping to alleviate the workload of professionals.

What challenges did you face while developing Alivia?

Hanne: There is broad support in Belgium for integrated care, but creating a common language and clear agreements to implement it in practice was a significant challenge. Aligning everyone in this process was one of the biggest hurdles initially. We shaped Alivia’s vision through extensive discussions, interviews, and co-creation sessions with users and professionals from the field.

Eline De Block (Craftzing - Business & Service Designer): The diversity of the care landscape made it hard to identify common needs and design a clear user journey. On top of that, we designed a concept for a methodology that is not yet  fully implemented in practice. That’s why we opted for a flexible design that could adapt to different scenarios and user needs.

Camille: Another challenge was balancing transparency and security. Information needs to be shared openly but also protected. Finding that balance remains a complex exercise.

What steps did you take to ensure Alivia is user-friendly and widely adopted in the future?

Bert: We started with a thorough business analysis and identified five core modules for Alivia: life goals, care goals, care tasks, communication, and the care team. These modules were developed step-by-step into an MVP in collaboration with stakeholders from various organizations and patient associations.

Hanne: We worked with case studies of real-life situations to make the project tangible. Healthcare professionals were involved to provide practical insights. These cases also helped align expectations, as not every opportunity can be tackled simultaneously.

Eline: We involved users at every step. Feedback from pilot users on the MVP shaped the development of Alivia 2.0. So far, we’ve conducted 27 interviews, six focus groups, seven surveys, and engaged 168 pilot users.

With so many partners involved in Alivia, how did you collaborate, and what roles did each of you take on?

Hanne: Departement Zorg provides and monitors the budget, translates the needs of the Flemish region into design requirements, and communicates with stakeholders. We position Alivia within a broader framework of integrated care in Flanders. On behalf of Digitaal Vlaanderen, Craftzing designed the concept and UX, ensuring an accessible and user-friendly platform. KPMG supported planning and project execution. DXC/Cegeka handled the platform’s development, while Digitaal Vlaanderen oversaw architecture and planning.

Eline: We tested concepts and prototypes with focus groups, defined functional requirements, and conducted accessibility checks.

Camille: KPMG facilitated the roadmap, coordinated between teams, and ensured alignment across project tracks. We supported program management, development, legal aspects, and stakeholder management.

What has your experience been like working with so many different partners on Alivia?

Bert: It requires a lot of coordination. The more people involved, the more meetings are needed to keep everyone aligned. Sometimes, Hanne and I have to present the same message differently depending on the audience. But it’s essential to have a few people who can maintain an overview of the bigger picture.

Hanne: It’s a complex project that requires diverse expertise. While alignment is demanding, having all that knowledge at the table is a major advantage.

Camille: The strength lies in viewing decisions from multiple perspectives. This allows us to better anticipate challenges and potential risks. So far, there haven't been any problems that we didn’t already have a plan for. Thanks to the variety of expertise, we could build a more robust and future-proof product.

Eline: The collaboration will ultimately result in a better product for end users. With KPMG and Departement Zorg, we involved the right stakeholders and tested concepts effectively.

What’s next for Alivia?

Hanne: In 2025, we’ll pilot Alivia in residential elder care and continue optimizing it. Ultimately, Alivia should be ready for a broad rollout across Flanders, making it simple for individuals to assemble and manage their care team.

Bert: Before rolling out Alivia to the wider public, certain prerequisites must be met. This includes training, smooth onboarding, easy access, and a helpdesk for support. Releasing it prematurely could undermine its potential. However, we’re confident that once these conditions are in place, Alivia will truly make a meaningful impact on the way care is delivered.

By Michele Stynen

Digital Marketeer