“There is a positive story to be told here” — what we learned at the DigiCare4You Workshop

In line with HaDEA’s commitment to foster synergies and share knowledge across EU health initiatives, JACARDI actively engages with a wide portfolio of projects – from Joint Actions and EU4Health grants to Horizon-funded interventions. JACARDI team members recently attended the DigiCare4You Capacity Building and Recommendations Development Workshop with International Stakeholders, held in Lisbon during the annual ICIC conference.

The event underscored how ongoing stakeholder engagement is vital to disseminate results, explore upscaling opportunities, develop evidence-based national policies and lay the groundwork for future cross-country collaborations. We invite readers to learn more about this ambitious intervention – running in parallel to our own pilot implementations – which is already demonstrating early results, implementation insights, and an inspiring commitment to meaningful change in health self-management.

A people-centric, digital health solution for preventing and managing diabetes and hypertension

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 (Greece, Spain) and two middle-income countries (Albania, Bulgaria), targeting over 10,000 families across socio-economic groups.

Screen, support, empower – the DigiCare4You approach

DigiCare4You applies a two-step screening model leveraging existing child growth monitoring activities in schools and health centers through which parents and caregivers are approached to complete the FINDRISC questionnaire as the first screening step. Adults identified as at risk are then referred for a second screening, which includes anthropometric and clinical assessments to detect conditions such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or hypertension.

Those confirmed at risk are subsequently invited to join the DigiCare4You two-year, mHealth-supported intervention programme, focused on lifestyle change, self-management, and family support. A multilingual mobile app offers access to health data, tracking tools, and educational resources and even recipies. Importantly, the intervention supports healthier behaviors in both adults and children through school and community-based activities.

DigiCare4You combines digital innovation, equity-driven outreach, and participatory research, while integrating into existing systems and investing in health professional training – ensuring sustainable, real-world impact.

Early results revealed: first findings inspire confidence

The Capacity Building and Recommendations Development (CBRD) Workshop gathered international experts at the midpoint of project implementation to review progress and shape the upcoming Roadmap for Scale-Up.Prof. Brian Oldenburg elevated the spirit of the event stating that: “Early findings are promising enough to say that there is a positive story to be told here.” Indeed, early results are compelling:

• Fewer adults with intermediate hyperglycaemia progressed to T2D; many returned to normal glucose levels.
• Participants with T2D improved their HbA1c.
• Adults with obesity experienced weight loss, BMI reduction, and lower cholesterol—without increased medication reliance.

From research to real-world impact

The workshop emphasized the transition from effectiveness to implementation research – examining how interventions work in real-life conditions. Dr Rajesh Vedanthan facilitated a compelling discussion in which implementers candidly shared successes and challenges.

Key takeaways from country implementers:

• Strong consensus: “Yes, we would start and do it again.”
• Motivation stems from seeing behavior change within families—especially when children and caregivers reinforce each other’s progress.
• Burnout among healthcare staff is a concern—but aligning DigiCare4You with existing systems proved an effective strategy.
• Local ownership and trust, especially through primary care systems and schools, were pivotal.
• Participants emphasized the importance of engaging families holistically, with one Bulgarian team member noting how “changing the behavior at home” can be one of the most lasting outcomes.

Additionally, one noted barrier to engagement was previous unsuccessful attempts at weight control, highlighting the need for tailored motivational support.

Cost-effectiveness, scalability, and the road ahead

Preliminary analyses suggest strong cost-effectiveness, especially when targeting adults with intermediate hyperglycaemia in MICs. A Scalability Decision Support Tool was developed to assess implementation readiness across five domains: NCD care context, digital literacy, support systems, screening capacity, and digital integration. These insights inform the forthcoming Roadmap for Scale-Up.

JACARDI Relevance

The presence of experts involved in both JACARDI and DigiCare4You highlights the existence of a vibrant, cross-country network of professionals dedicated to cardiovascular and diabetes care. The workshop featured members of the JACARDI Stakeholder Advisory Board, including a policy advisor from the European Diabetes Federation, epidemiologist and researcher from EUPHA, healthcare professionals involved in the pilot implementation in Portugal, representatives from the industry developing digital tools, and communication experts. Together, these individuals demonstrate the strength of this interconnected community.

Such events provide valuable opportunities to learn, grow and exchange knowledge, and have the potential to shape and enhance the quality of ongoing interventions. Given the different timelines of these projects, the initial findings of the DigiCare4You project can provide valuable insights for the JACARDI teams, given that the implementation of the pilots has only just begun.

Looking ahead

In its final year, DigiCare4You will focus on completing the intervention, finalizing cost-effectiveness studies, and refining its scalability tools. A second CBRD workshop will present final results and a full Roadmap for Scale-Up, providing a concrete guide for policy and replication.

As the burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Europe is expected to reach 72 million people by 2050, DigiCare4You is emerging as a promising prevention model. “We design a programme, and when we start to implement it, we are confronted with the reality on the ground. Reality is revealed, and we act according to people’s needs,” said Prof. Yannis Manios, Project Coordinator. Meeting people where they are – with empathy, innovation and commitment – may be the most powerful intervention of all.

Discover more about the DigiCare4You project here.

JACARDI’s voices on the scientific stage across Europe

The first half of 2025 has been a busy and productive time for JACARDI, with consortium members sharing key findings and pilot implementation highlights at leading scientific conferences across Europe. These contributions, spanning health literacy, integrated care, biomarker-based screening, and health economics, demonstrate the depth and scope of the work underway across multiple work packages.

Spotlight on ICIC25 – Lisbon, Portugal | May 14–16, 2025

JACARDI had a strong presence at the 25th International Conference on Integrated Care (ICIC25) with three distinct contributions representing different work packages:

Irati Erreguerena (Work Package 6 – Health literacy) delivered an oral presentation on a co-designed health literacy program for adolescents in the Basque Country, Spain. Her talk highlighted how WHO’s Health Literacy Development Model, and the Ophelia (Optimising Health Literacy and Access) co-design methodology were applied to empower younger populations with knowledge and tools for chronic disease prevention.

Yhasmine Hamu (Work Package 9 – Integrated care pathways) presented on the implementation of a value-based integrated care model, sharing strategies to address care fragmentation and improve outcomes for people with chronic conditions.

Gergely Varga (Representing both Work Package 9 – Integrated care pathways and Work Package 5 – Methodological framework) contributed a poster that outlined a situational analysis methodology designed to support integrated care.

Faculty of Public Health Summer Scientific Meeting – Dublin, Ireland | May 20–21, 2025

Sonja Moore (Work Package 8 – Screening) presented findings from a scoping literature review on the use of natriuretic peptides in cardiovascular risk stratification and management. Her poster focused on current strategies and approaches for using these biomarkers in patient populations without diagnosed heart failure, a topic gaining traction in preventive cardiology. The review aimed to inform more targeted screening protocols and identify gaps in clinical practice across Europe.

COMET Conference – Poznań, Poland | June 25–27, 2025

Richard Osborne (Work Package 6 – Health Literacy) represented JACARDI at the 23rd International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Communication, Medicine, and Ethics (COMET). His oral presentation focused on scaling up health literacy development as a strategy to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases. The talk stressed the need for strategic investment in communication and co-design at the system level.

1st European Public Health Economics Conference
– Palermo, Italy | June 26–27, 2025

Katie Ellwood (Work Package 8 – Screening) presented a pilot study from JACARDI aiming to establish the most cost-effective threshold for using NT-proBNP blood marker in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification. The analysis models the impact of different thresholds over a 30-year horizon in a large population cohort. This pioneering work within JACARDI bridges clinical practice with health economics, helping to inform sustainable, evidence-based screening strategies.

These scientific initiatives reflect JACARDI’s commitment to knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and measurable impact. Consortium members not only showcased research but also engaged with policymakers, practitioners, and academics, advancing the mission to improve cardiovascular and diabetes outcomes across Europe. The autumn season offers a variety of relevant conferences, kicking off right at the end of summer with the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, taking place from 29 August to 1 September.