The NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH) has signed a protocol that will enable it to launch the first Postgraduate Programme in Care Integration in Portugal. The collaboration agreement was formalised with the Portuguese Association for Integrated Care (PAFIC) during the 4th National Meeting on Care Integration, which took place this month in Aveiro.
The economic, social and cultural changes of recent decades have altered the population’s socio-demographic profile, with health systems coming under increasing pressure to respond to an ageing population with more chronic illnesses. The integration of care has emerged as a decisive way of organising better responses that meet the needs and expectations of citizens, but also of health professionals.
‘The signing of this protocol that will lead to the launch of this Postgraduate Programme in Care Integration is a significant milestone for healthcare in Portugal. With the growing need for more integrated care models, this programme responds directly to the challenges facing the health system today and to the needs of leaders, managers, administrators and other professionals who are part of the health system, particularly with a methodology applied to the needs of the ULS,’ explains the deputy director of NOVA NSPH, Rui Santana.
‘NOVA NSPH is promoting yet another specialised and collaborative training course, aware that only an open teaching model, in partnership and supported by practical cases, can prepare the professionals who will lead the transformation of care provision in Portugal, guaranteeing greater efficiency and better results for people,’ adds Rui Santana.
‘The integration of care is fundamental to the continuity and quality of healthcare, especially at a time as challenging and complex as the one we are experiencing. This partnership with NOVA NSPH reflects our commitment to training professionals so that they can implement innovative and effective solutions. We believe that this protocol will be a crucial step in promoting a health system that is truly centred on people’s needs, with clear benefits for society,’ says PAFIC president Adelaide Belo.
This course is a response to the growing need for professionals capable of articulating different levels of healthcare, placing the person at the centre of the process and ensuring a more integrated and continuous approach. The signing of the protocol symbolises a commitment to the advanced training of professionals, providing them with practical and theoretical tools to lead and implement changes in their work contexts.