INCLIVA brings workplace health education to workers and employers across Spain

INCLIVA, the Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de València, presented its work within JACARDI at Conecta INCLIVA, a public seminar held on 14 May in Valencia. Bringing together patients, researchers and clinicians, the event offered a space to connect ongoing European research with the people most affected by these conditions and shared the latest scientific advances in cardiovascular health and diabetes.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality in Europe, and diabetes already affects one in ten people over the age of 55 in Spain. These figures underline that public engagement with research is not just valuable, but necessary.

The event showcased four active European projects led or supported by INCLIVA‘s cardiovascular research team. The team consists of more than 200 researchers, has produced over 1,300 scientific publications, and currently has nearly 200 active projects and clinical studies. Among these, Dr. Clara Bonanad and Dr. Josep Redón presented JACARDI.

INCLIVA participates in JACARDI as an affiliated entity under FundeSalud, which serves as the Spanish competent authority in the Joint Action. INCLIVA plays an active role across five pilots covering data, screening, prevention, personalised care and health education.

Taking health education into the workplace

Within JACARDI’s health education projects, INCLIVA is developing an online training programme for workers and employers. The initiative aims to equip participants with practical self-care tools, raise awareness about cardiovascular risk, and support the workplace inclusion of people living with these conditions.

The programme consists of ten short five-minute videos, complemented by downloadable materials for all participants. To assess the learning impact, the course includes an evaluation of the knowledge acquired, measures how that knowledge is integrated into daily routines, and solicits participants’ feedback about their experience of the platform. The roll-out of the initiative is currently in progress. 

Citizens as partners in research

The event also highlighted citizen science, private philanthropic funding, and the importance of integrating patient perspectives, including a discussion on gender equity in cardiovascular research. One of the event’s special guests,  Ms. Maite San Saturnino, President of the Spanish Heart Foundation‘s patient association and an important JACARDI stakeholder, joined in a conversation that opened into a wider audience discussion on the active role citizens can play in scientific progress. 

Ms. Mariola Penadés Fons, Director General of Research and Innovation at the Valencian Regional Health Ministry brought the event to a close by highlighting that research only fulfils its purpose when it reaches the people it was always meant to serve. It is precisely this spirit that drives JACARDI’s work and INCLIVA’s commitment to bringing it into workplaces, communities and everyday life.