Researchers from CINTESIS – Center for Health Technologies and Services Research are participating in the development of the project SHAPES (Smart and Health Ageing through People Engaging in Supportive Systems), one of the largest European projects in the field of digital health.
The objective of SHAPES is to create an integrated platform with a wide range of digital solutions (products and services such as robots, sensors, and applications) to support the elderly, promoting better ageing, with more health, quality of life and autonomy, while contributing to the sustainability of health services and systems.
The objective is to facilitate acceptance and use, by the elderly, families and professionals, of Information and Communication Technologies that can facilitate ageing in the community, supporting the execution of daily tasks, preventing or minimizing risks associated with accidents, or facilitating the management of chronic diseases.
Soraia Teles, Pedro Rocha, and Renato Ferreira da Silva from CINTESIS / Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) are the researchers involved in the project under the coordination of Constança Paúl. Elísio Costa from Porto4Ageing is also part of the team. The SHAPES project has another team of researchers from CINTESIS, from the University of Aveiro, who work in collaboration with researchers from other research units: DigiMedia, IEETA, and GOVCOPP.
The University of Porto team will be responsible for leading the testing of existing technological solutions on the market that can be applied to the area of neurodegenerative diseases, especially in dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
In addition to testing these technological solutions, the team will contribute, throughout the project, to gather knowledge about the needs and requirements of older people regarding digital solutions, to expand the networks around ageing and digital solutions and to design recommendations for improving integrated care in Europe and the sustainability of health services and systems.
One of the solutions to be tested in the project is i-Support , an online support, and training program for caregivers of people living with dementia. Launched by the World Health Organization (WHO), iSupport was purchased by ICBAS and adapted to Portugal by the group of researchers from CINTESIS / ICBAS. In total, 200 caregivers should be recruited in order to assess the effectiveness of this solution.
Funded by the EU Research and Innovation Programme Horizon 2020 with about 21 million euros, SHAPES involves 14 countries and 36 European partners, including research centers, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and international non-profit associations. The leadership is from the University of Maynooth, Ireland.
The project started in November 2019 and is expected to be implemented for 48 months until 2023.
More information on this project is available here.