Building the path beyond research: DigiCare4You workshop focuses on scale-up

The final DigiCare4You dissemination workshop brought together European stakeholders in Brussels to discuss the project’s results and future implementation.

The transition from research to real-world implementation took centre stage at the second Capacity Building and Recommendations Development Workshop organised by DigiCare4You, a Horizon 2020 project, held recently in Brussels.

The Horizon2020-funded DigiCare4You project offers a new model for the early prevention and management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) by engaging schools, communities and healthcare systems in an intersectoral approach. At its core, the project empowers families and connects health and education sectors, equipping individuals with digital tools to better manage their health. Building on the evidence-based Feel4Diabetes study, DigiCare4You is being implemented in two high-income countries (Greece and Spain) and two middle-income countries (Albania and Bulgaria), targeting more than 10,000 families across different socio-economic groups.

Bringing together policymakers, researchers and health professionals from across Europe, the event marked the project’s final in-person dissemination meeting after more than five years of collaboration. Participants reviewed the programme’s implementation across four pilot countries and discussed the outcomes of its two-year intervention, including impact evaluation and health economic analysis.

The findings presented during the workshop were particularly encouraging in terms of cost-effectiveness, reinforcing the potential of DigiCare4You as a scalable and sustainable solution to strengthen primary care systems and support people at risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. 

A delegation from JACARDI took part in the discussions, including Dr Sarah Cuschieri, member of JACARDI’s Scientific Advisory Board; Sabine Dupont, member of the project’s Stakeholder Board, Fátima Lois, member of the communication and dissemination team; and colleagues Sandro Girolami, and Rogerio Ribeiro, both involved in pilot interventions.

“It was a fruitful and engaging workshop, with exciting discussions and promising results emerging from this collaboration,” said Dr Sarah Cuschieri. “The roadmap currently being developed will no doubt contribute to strengthening digital health and integrated care approaches across Europe.”

“The session offered a rich and comprehensive overview of the project, from implementation across four countries to impact and economic evaluation,” added Fátima Lois. “Particularly encouraging were the cost-effectiveness results, which highlight the real potential for scale.”  

A central focus of the workshop was the DigiCare4You Roadmap for Scale-Up, designed to support the transfer of the project’s solutions beyond the initial pilot countries. Stakeholders engaged in a dynamic exchange on how to translate the project’s evidence and lessons learned into practical recommendations for implementation in new national contexts.

Beyond the project results themselves, the workshop also highlighted the value of collaboration and knowledge exchange between European initiatives such as DigiCare4You and JACARDI. By sharing expertise, evidence and implementation experiences, both projects contribute to advancing innovative and integrated approaches to chronic disease prevention across Europe.

As DigiCare4You enters its final phase, the project leaves behind not only valuable evidence and lessons learned, but also a practical roadmap to support the future transfer and scale-up of its solutions in new healthcare settings.

Visit our website for further insights into their early results and experiences midway through the implementation journey back in 2025.

You can learn more about DigiCare4You and their final results on the project website.