NEWSLETTER
Third edition - September 2024
Recognising the role of the community
With over 537 million people living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 1.28 billion people in the world living with hypertension (HTN), T2D and HTN represent two pressing health challenges. Evidence shows that some cases of T2D and HTN can be prevented or delayed through primary prevention strategies such as the adoption of healthy habits.
Various factors influence an individual's ability to adopt healthy habits. Individuals do not live in isolation and therefore the family, community and the environment in which they live play a role in influencing their behaviour. For example, cultural norms related to eating habits and exercise or access to green spaces and/or sporting facilities will influence an individual's ability to develop and sustain healthy habits that will reduce their risk of developing chronic conditions such as T2D and HTN.
In recognition of this, ways to address the factors influencing health beyond the individuals physiology have recently become of more interest in the healthcare sector. For example, social prescribing, which is a mechanism by which healthcare professionals refer people to community groups and activities, has become more prevalent across Europe to address non-medical causes of illness. Participation in community activities and initiatives can provide people with the chance to increase their amount of social interaction, build supportive networks, and access educational resources that promote mental and physical well-being, ultimately helping to prevent and manage chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
The DigiCare4You project also recognises the importance of the community in preventing and managing T2D and HTN. Beyond the self-management intervention aspect, another key component of the DigiCare4You solution is the creation of a supportive social and physical environment within schools and the community. This is done notably through the development of both a healthy school programme and an online social collaboration platform. The latter is open to the whole community, irrespective of their participation in DigiCare4You, and provides a platform for the community to connect, receive and share information about the prevention and management of T2D and HTN and overall healthy living.
To provide the DigiCare4You community with further insights into the project, we are excited to bring you the third edition of the DigiCare4You newsletter! This edition gives an update on the development of the project; what consortium partners have been working on behind the scenes; and a round-up of the latest news.
Where are we now?
Baseline measurements now completed
With the project currently in its fourth year, participant screening and recruitment have been completed in all four implementation countries. Participants have now undergone baseline measurements and regular face-to-face counselling sessions and are using the digital tools, MyDiet and DiaWatch, to manage their condition. The first-year intervention results, based on the first participants, are expected in the next few months. As participants joined the intervention over a period of time, the one-year follow-up point for all participants is expected to be reached in autumn 2024. The evaluation of the recruitment process has also commenced along with preliminary analysis of the implementation of the DigiCare4You solution.
Digital tools have been developed to assist implementers in monitoring participants' condition and engagement in the project
Beyond the digital tools used by end-users, MyDieta and DiaWatch, various digital tools have been developed for use by the implementers, i.e. healthcare professionals. These include an 'Artificial Intelligence Monitoring System', a 'Decision Support System' and a visual analytics suite. These tools have been developed to help the implementers in monitoring their participants condition and engagement to optimise the effectiveness of the intervention. Extensive training of the local research teams on these digital tools have been conducted and the tools and training will be updated according to the implementation countries' needs on a continuous basis.
Social collaboration platform to be launched shortly
Scalability and transferability are starting to take centre stage
Among the core objectives of the DigiCare4You project is the provision of a supportive social environment within schools and communities aiming to promote the adoption of a healthy and active lifestyle among children and their families. To facilitate this a community-based intervention in the form of a Social Collaboration Platform has been developed. Through this platform, families participating in the intervention, along with the wider community, will be able to communicate, exchange information as well as create, share and participate in social events related to the prevention and management of T2D and HTN and the adoption of healthy habits. The Social Collaboration Platform is expected to launch shortly.
A core objective of the DigiCare4You project is to assess the scalability and transferability of the solution. Consortium partners have now developed a methodology and process for developing scale-up roadmaps for DigiCare4You. Discussions and planning of the first Capacity Building and Recommendations Development (CBRD) workshop is underway. The CBRD workshop will bring together members of the International Stakeholder Advisory Board, project partners and other stakeholders to present the progress of the project and hold discussions that will contribute to the development of the 'DigiCare4You Roadmap for Scale-up'.
- Read more about the methodology and process for developing the scale-up roadmaps here.
What is happening behind the scenes?
New article reveals the available policies and programmes targeting T2D and hypertension in the four DigiCare4You countries
Consortium partners published an article in The European Journal of Public Health (April 2024). The article presents background information on the healthcare systems, prevalence, and status of T2D and hypertension screening and management policies in the project's four implementation countries, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Spain. Results revealed that there is a collective need for these countries to strengthen their prevention and management policies.
- Addressing chronic diseases: a comparative study of policies towards type-2 diabetes and hypertension in selected European countries | Read the article here
Diabetes and hypertension country profiles for Albania, Bulgaria and Greece - now available
Country profiles have been created to provide an insight into the prevalence and trends of diabetes and hypertension in the DigiCare4You countries. The profiles also provide a snapshot of the availability of national policies. The Albanian, Bulgarian and Greek country profiles have been released with the Spanish profile still to come.
- Read the Albanian profile in English or Albanian.
- Read the Bulgarian profile in English or Bulgarian.
- Read the Greek profile in English or Greek.
Three new public deliverable summaries added to the DigiCare4You website
For each submitted public deliverable in the DigiCare4You project, we aim to publish a lay-language summary. Three new summaries have been published on the DigiCare4You website.
DigiCare4You partners met in Pisa for the fifth consortium meeting
Representatives from the 16 DigiCare4You consortium partners gathered in Pisa, Italy, on May 15-16 2024, for the project’s fifth consortium meeting. DigiCare4You partners reviewed the progress achieved in each work package throughout the second reporting period spanning from October 1, 2022 until March 31, 2024 and discussed next steps for the project. To read more, find the press release we published on our website here on May 29 2024.
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In case you missed it
New WHO study reveals that an increasing number of people are not achieving sufficient levels of physical activity
The WHO conducted an assessment of physical inactivity at the global, regional and country levels. Regular physical activity enhances both mental and physical health for all people and is also a key behavioural factor that can contribute to preventing diabetes and hypertension. The results of this assessment showed that globally, 31% of adults were not meeting WHO-recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. Looking at the country level of the four DigiCare4You implementation countries, all countries but Spain are following the trend of increasing prevalence of insufficient physical activity among adults.
Curious to read more?
The Belgian council conclusions reinforce the rationale and necessity of projects like DigiCare4You
Following each rotating EU Council presidency, the Council adopts formal statements summarising the outcomes and priorities of the presidency and future policy priorities. One of the health-related challenges addressed within the Council conclusions was, ‘taking action in the field of prevention of NCDs’. The Council conclusions also recognised the rapid advancements of digital technologies and how digital tools, including telemedicine, medical devices software and remote patient monitoring such as the tools developed for the DigiCare4You solution, have the potential to improve health outcomes and healthcare accessibility.
- Read the article we wrote on June 27 2024 here
One third of adults aged 30-79 are living with hypertension worldwide
The DigiCare4You project aims to improve the early prevention and management of both diabetes and hypertension. Hypertension is a chronic medical condition which occurs when the pressure in the blood vessels is too high. On the occasion of World Hypertension Day, we highlighted the magnitude of the hypertension epidemic on both global and European levels as well as prevention, management and risk reduction strategies.
- Find the article we wrote on May 17 2024 here
DigiCare4You partners attended a school race event in the Zaragoza community
CEIP Cortes de Aragon, a school located in Zaragoza participating in the DigiCare4You project, organised a solidarity school race in March 2024 in which all proceeds were donated to the Zaragoza Diabetes Association. As a participatory school in the project, DigiCare4You partners from the University of Zaragoza were invited to attend this event to raise awareness of their research group and the DigiCare4You project.
- Find the article we wrote on April, 10 2024 here
WHO launched a new AI digital tool called S.A.R.A.H
For World Health Day 2024 with the theme ‘My health, my right’, we emphasised the importance of equal access to health information and education in closing health gaps and supporting individuals in realising their rights to health. S.A.R.A.H is a digital health promoter powered by generative AI that is free to use 24/7 and available in eight languages. S.A.R.A.H can be used as an additional tool for health education and information purposes as well as help people realise their rights to health.
Never miss a post again and join us on social media
DigiCare4You is now on Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
The DigiCare4You accounts on X and LinkedIn promotes the latest news of the project and consortium partners as well as the latest updates and events on T2D, HTN and digital technology in health. We have now also just launched our Facebook page. Head over to our Facebook to give our page a 'like' and 'follow'!
About us
DigiCare4You seeks to improve the early prevention and management of T2D and HTN.
The project aims to do so by identifying parents/ caregivers already living with, or at risk, of diabetes and hypertension and secondly, developing a person-centred, community-based solution, that uses digital tools, to prevent the development of these conditions and/or improve their management and prevent and delay complications.
Furthermore, the project aims to assess the scalability and transferability of the DigiCare4You solution, within the implementation countries and beyond. The implementation study is conducted in two high-income countries (Greece and Spain) and two middle-income countries (Albania and Bulgaria).
For more information visit our website and social media pages
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