The NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH) took part in the Annual Meeting of the SAFEST project – Improving Quality and Patient Safety in Surgical Care through Standardisation and Harmonisation of Perioperative Care in Europe, of which it is a partner. During the meeting, NOVA NSPH presented the work it has been doing, particularly in terms of evaluation and monitoring.
During the Annual Consortium Meeting, which took place between 12 and 14 February in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, the partners analysed the progress made in all the Work Packages over the last year and defined the main priorities for 2025.
The NOVA NSPH team, represented by Paulo Sousa, a professor at NOVA NSPH, and research fellows Ana Beatriz Nunes and Patrícia Sousa Paulo, presented the work carried out within the scope of evaluating and monitoring the SAFEST intervention. The team also highlighted the hosting of three master’s theses developed within the scope of SAFEST, and the hosting of consultancy internships for the Public Health Medical Internship, reinforcing NOVA NSPH’s commitment to training highly qualified health professionals.
The final days of the Annual Meeting were dedicated to the hospitals participating in the SAFEST project, with representatives from all the institutions involved present. The hospitals presented their progress in implementing the Quality Improvement Collaborative, highlighting the activities carried out, the initiatives underway, as well as the main challenges and facilitating factors in the process.
The meeting was also attended by patients, who shared their experiences in the perioperative context, providing an essential perspective for the continuous improvement of surgical care. Participants also had the opportunity to visit the operating theatre at Radboudumc Hospital, where they were able to observe the briefing and time-out moments.
The NOVA NSPH team presented the first preliminary results on adherence to SAFEST practices and the incidence of surgical complications in SAFEST hospitals.
The SAFEST project has received Horizon Europe funding and will run for four years. It is being developed by NOVA NSPH researchers Paulo Sousa, Andreia Leite, Ana Beatriz Nunes, Pedro Casaca Carvalho and Patrícia Sousa Paulo.
