Portuguese researchers and health professionals will work together with Spanish and French to combat the loss of autonomy and reduce hospitalizations. Brussels finances with 1.7 million.
The Guarda Polytechnic Institute (IPG) and the University of Aveiro participate in a European project to prevent the negative effects of medication – drug iatrogenesis – on the older population. Financing amounts to 1.7 million euros.
The project will identify good practices used in Portugal, Spain and France, analyze with healthcare professionals the potential risks associated with healthcare and develop recommendations to improve the quality of life of the elderly population and prevent their loss of autonomy.
“STOP-IATRO – Start Therapeutic OPtimisazion and IATRogenesis prevention on Older People”, as the project is called, is led by the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Toulouse, which in France also has the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Limoges. In Spain, the responsible institutions are the Aging Health Foundation of the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Malaga Biomedical Research Institute.
In Portugal, the project’s associated partners are the National Association of Pharmacies, the Portuguese Society of Primary Health Care Pharmacists, the Portuguese Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology – as well as the Local Health Units (ULS) of Guarda and the Aveiro region.
“This project to combat drug iatrogenesis has four phases, all coordinated with health professionals from the regions of each of the academic institutions involved”, explains Fátima Roque, researcher at the epidemiology and population health laboratory at the Escola Superior de Saúde do Instituto Politécnico da Guarda and project coordinator at IPG.
“The first phase started in January 2024 and is identifying good practices to avoid iatrogenesis, through a literature review and analysis of guidelines international”, he explains. A questionnaire will then be administered to doctors, nurses and pharmacists, in the regions where the project is being developed, so that good practices can be shared among professionals from different countries.
Joaquim Brigas, president of the Polytechnic of Guarda, says that this is “another area of strong investment” for the IPG, which is already the headquarters of the National Observatory of Aging in the Central region, in addition to also hosting in its facilities the district hub of Guard of the Active Aging Skills Center.
Tags: Polytechnic Guarda University Aveiro project prevent negative effects medication elderly
