A New Generation of Territorial Healthcare Infrastructures After COVID-19. The Transition to Community Homes and Community Hospitals into the Framework of the Italian Recovery Plan

COVID-19 disrupted existing processes and accelerated the rethinking of healthcare spaces, functions, and model of care, stressing the ineffectiveness of the territorial health network in the Italian National Health System (NHS). Within the framework of European Recovery Plan (Next Generation EU), Italy’s Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) allocated €15.63 Bn in the Mission 6 “Health” to strengthen proximity networks, facilities, and telemedicine for territorial healthcare. Aware of the importance that the physical built environment plays in the process of care delivery and health promotion and prevention, €3 Bn has been allocated to the planning, design, and construction of two new low-care typologies in a vision of person-centered healthcare: the Community Home (Casa della Comunità-CdC), and the Community Hospital (Ospedale di Comunità-OdC). It has been estimated that 795 new CdCs and 381 new OdCs will completed before 2026 as novel buildings or renovation of existing healthcare facilities. Although in European context several best practices are present in terms of integration of healthcare architectures into the urban context (Spanish Health Centers or Swedish Primary Care Centers), the Italian experience is generally outdated, with some regional exceptions; there is the need to understand the architectural characteristics of such new typologies. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to shed light on the spatial, functional, technological, and organizational needs and requirements of CdC and OdCs and to map the different regional requirements in a systematic and structured framework. The methods adopted in the study include a review of national and regional guidelines, data collection from National agency for regional health services (AGENAS) databases, and comparison matrix development of the different requirements in Italian regions. The results will highlight technological and architectural implications of territorial health centers implementation.