NB: the contents of this page are extracted from the original project approved by the EU in 2004.

Why BIRO?

The BIRO project was motivated by the need to overcome some of the frequent barriers posed by the following problems:

• insufficient utilization of information systems by clinicians and policy makers
• poor linkage between regional data sources and European statistical agencies
• limited application of sophisticated statistical routines in European health reports
• inadequacy of software available in the public domain
• insufficient use of medical records due to increasing privacy concerns
• lack of standardized approaches for secure data transmission

The BIRO project was aimed at:

1. providing an enhanced capacity to combat a specific health concern, diabetes, through an improved monitoring of risk factors directly related to the disease, including obesity, impairment, social exclusion, and the much higher risk of adverse effects among aged subjects;
2. supporting policy-making through the systematic evaluation of different strategies for health care and prevention based on a scheme that is generally valid for all chronic diseases