On Friday 4 April 2024, the Cancer Patient Guidance Center-Kapa3 successfully organized a workshop on “Implementation of Digital Tools for Oncological Quality of Care – Barriers and Facilitators” at the Mediterranean Palace in Thessaloniki, with live and online participation.
The opening of the workshop was welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Health, Marios Themistocleous, highlighting the difficulty of operational health plans to reach the targeted patients, which can be addressed by the use of digital technology. In addition, he mentioned future plans to upgrade digital tools.
Address was given by Archimandrite Athenagoras Loukataris, Holy Metropolis of Neapolis – Stavroupolis, Center for the Protection of Minors and Youth Support “Lighthouse of the World”, Marianna Varadini, Lawyer – Scientific Associate of the special
on behalf of the Minister Mr. Konstantinidis, Melina Dermendzopoulou, Vice-Regional Head of Health & Social Solidarity, Region of Central Macedonia, Efthimios Hadjitheoklitos,
Deputy Mayor of Social Policy, Solidarity and Welfare, as well as Hatzidimitriou Maria, Vice President of the ICSF Mrs., Professor of Microbiology & Immunology of the ICSF.
During the first round table of the workshop, entitled “Innovation – Society: Is there a vision of realizing a “digital transformation” with a focus on people? What is the role of Civil Society Organisations?”
Hatziioannidou Maria Nefeli – Member of the State Parliament of the Southwest, Founder of the NGO “WOMEN’S WIDOWS”, stressed the demand for innovation in health with a focus on people. The digitalization of health and digital transformation tends to change the
the identity of the human being, yet we are still in the early stages of digitisation of health services.
The discussion was attended by representatives of Civil Society (Vasso Rafaela Vakuftsi, President of the Board of the Greek Patients’ Association, Eleni Delioupoulou, Head of Art and Culture of ELLOK, Theopisti Krystallidou – Deputy Member of the European Parliament of New Democracy, President of WinCancer, Sidiropoulou Maria, Vice President of the Association of Friends of Theagenion, Kiki Tsiranidou – President of the Board. Imeroessa Panhellenic Association for the Support of People with Obesity, Spyridon Zorbas, President of the Greek Network of Caregivers Epioni, Bista Evaggeli – Phd(c),Mba,MSC,BSC, Development and Operations Manager – Co-founder Kapa3) who in turn referred to the use of digital health tools and the importance of digital transformation, highlighting both the multiple barriers that currently overwhelm health services and the improvement of the patient’s daily life.
Finally, ND MEP Stelios Kympouropoulos commented that digital technology should be based on diversity and inclusion, so that everyone has equal access to it.
At the start of the second round table on “Digital health tools:
Is the patient at the centre?” Maria Karagiannidou presented the positive features of the digitisation of health services for the benefit of patients. In this panel, patients and patient caregivers participated (Karakana Chrysa, Psychologist – Patient Caregiver, Aristea Archondidou, Biomedical Engineer. Informatics Engineer, Health Policy and Health Service Design (MSc), Nena Anestopoulou, Gymnast – Patient, Constantia Marinou, El. Professional – Patient), who shared their own personal experience with both cancer and the use of digital tools, emphasizing the need for organized interventions by the state.
The panel commentators were Emmanuel Smyrnakis, Associate Professor of Primary Education
Professor of Primary Health Care – Medical Education Laboratory of Primary Health Care, General Medicine and Health Services Research – Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Diomidis Antoniadis MD, MSc, PhD Attending Psychiatrist Psychiatrist, MD, MSc, PhD, PhD in Psycho-oncology, Department of Medicine, A. Post-doctoral researcher, University of Thessaloniki Medical School.
The workshop continued with the presentation of the E-Health4Cancer project, its aims and objectives, the main actions and results of the project by Vaya Pantazi, Sociologist of Kappa3, followed by the presentation of the Systematic Literature Review by Camilla Ancona – Ph.D. in Technology, Innovation and Management, Project Coordinator/ UNINA, analyzing the main findings on digital tools for cancer at EU level.
The second round of the conference was opened by the presentation of the “Good Practices Guide” by Lars Münter – Danish Committee for Health Education, Executive Horizon Advisor – International Projects Unit, with the main conclusions of the guide that fragmentation leads to confusion, sustainability means progress and digital tools must be both functional and easily accessible. During the next roundtable entitled “Digital Health: Infrastructures, Challenges for a Rational Transition. Bright Examples” Natsiavas Pantelis – Researcher C, Institute of Applied Life Sciences, National Centre for Research and Technological Development, highlighted the need for a patient-centred approach and innovation with a focus on prevention and care delivery by telemedicine, as well as the need to reduce inequalities in cancer care delivery across the EU. Information Technology Directorate of the 3rd YPE, Christos Frantzidis – Dr., Senior Lecturer – School of Computer Science, College of Health and Science – big data cancer, Dr. Dimitra DionysiouHead of Health Technologies Department, I-SENSE Group, Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, National Technical University of Athens, who in turn spoke about digital health tools, citing specific examples such as eCAN, ONCOSCREEN & ONCODIR, as well as a new application entitled CUTE. The roundtable round was concluded with the last panel entitled “The digital age meets cancer patient care: the approach of health professionals”, where Maria Lavdanitis – Professor, Chair of the Department of Nursing, International Hellenic University, who highlighted the need for education of health professionals and nurses with a patient-centred approach. The participants of this round table, Christos Triantafyllou – RN, MSCE, PhD (c), Project Officer Quality of Care, WHO Athens Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety, Dr. Anastasios Boutis – Pathological Oncologist, Director of the 3rd Pathological Oncology Clinic, A. N.TH. “THEAGENIO”, Georgios Vagos – Obstetrician Gynecologist – Attending physician at the General Hospital of Arta, Ekaterini StravoravdiPsychologist MSc Medicine, Arta University of Thessaloniki, Associate of the Clinical Research Unit, Papageorgiou Hospital, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, through their distinct qualities spoke respectively: about inequalities in health, the shortcomings in the implementation of digital tools and the importance of patient participation in the design processes of relevant tools. With a strong message, the conference was closed by Bista Evangeli, highlighting that oncology care services are facing challenges due to the increasing number of cancer survivors as well as the fragmentation of care. Digital platforms are a potential tool for delivering patient-centred care, which despite the barriers and challenges, can be linked to improving the quality of health and patient care. The workshop was held in the framework of the E-Health4Cancer project, co-funded by the European Union, and in collaboration with the Research Laboratory “Adult Cancer Care” of the Department of Nursing of the International Hellenic University, under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior – Sector Macedonia and Thrace, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the 4th Department of Public Health, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Greece, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Macedonia and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Greece. P.E., the International Hellenic University, the H.O.P.E., the Pharmaceutical Association of Thessaloniki, the Greek Patients’ Association and the ELL.O.K..