The National School of Public Health of NOVA University of Lisbon (NOVA NSPH) organised a public session to present the results of three CONCORDIA projects, dedicated to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Heart Failure, and Chronic Kidney Disease.
The event brought together researchers, health professionals, representatives of associations, and other stakeholders to discuss the impact of these chronic diseases and the different perceptions regarding health management.
Held on 8 October at the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, the session opened with remarks by Sónia Dias, Dean of NOVA NSPH, and Hugo Martinho, Medical Director at AstraZeneca, the project’s partner company. Both highlighted the importance of the CONCORDIA project and expressed their satisfaction with the results achieved.
“Health systems can only be truly effective when they are built with people and their realities, and not merely about them”, emphasised Sónia Dias, noting that CONCORDIA “represents a new way of doing science, open, collaborative, and people-centred”.
Ana Rita Pedro, researcher at NOVA NSPH and coordinator of CONCORDIA, presented the results achieved so far, which identified the main concerns, impacts, and constraints experienced by patients, as well as the perceptions of health professionals. One of the key findings showed that professionals tend to have a more negative perception of the diseases’ impact than patients themselves. In the case of Type 2 Diabetes, patients even reported some positive effects, such as greater self-care, aspects not always recognised by professionals. The presentation was followed by the session “Building Bridges: Communication as a Pillar in Chronic Disease Management”, led by Paulo Santos from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto.
Afterwards, the debate “From Challenge to Solution: How to Align Perspectives to Optimise Chronic Disease Management?” took place, moderated by journalist João Moleira. The discussion featured Aida Cruz Mendes (former President of the National Council for Public Nursing Education), Ema Paulino (President of the National Association of Pharmacies), Idalina Beirão (President of the National Council for Medical Education, Portuguese Medical Association), Jaime Melancia (President of the Health in Dialogue Platform), Miguel Castelo-Branco (Member of the Council of Portuguese Medical Schools), and Tiago Villanueva (President of the European Union of General Practitioners). During the debate, audience questions further reinforced the collaborative and participatory nature of the event.
Among the conclusions presented, participants stressed the need to recognise communication as a therapeutic tool, promote active listening and the appreciation of patients’ lived experience, and integrate dimensions such as quality of life, autonomy, and health literacy into clinical assessment models.
“CONCORDIA reminds us that the most valuable form of intelligence remains collective intelligence, the one born from dialogue, collaboration, and the involvement of all”, added Sónia Dias, underlining NOVA NSPH’s role in “turning knowledge into action and bringing science closer to policy and people”.
The CONCORDIA projects have shown that involving patients in care delivery helps make health systems more humane, effective, and aligned with people’s real needs.
The event concluded with a networking session, allowing participants to exchange experiences and ideas, further reinforcing NOVA NSPH’s commitment to promoting person-centred and evidence-based care.
