IMPACT-MED

Cardiometabolic diseases are a leading cause of death and disability in Europe. The diseases, which include high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes (types 1 and 2), coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and heart valve disease are often diagnosed late, by which time significant complications may already have developed. It is estimated that over a third of people with diabetes in Europe don’t know that they have it, for example. Furthermore, many people have two or more cardiometabolic conditions, but these are still treated in isolation, leaving patients struggling to navigate fragmented care pathways and manage communication between different care teams.

The aim of IMPACT-MED is to design, develop and deploy a people-centred multidisciplinary cardio-metabolic care (MCMC) framework. Supported by an integrated digital ecosystem, the MCMC framework would enable the systematic integration into clinical practice and healthcare decision-making of patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs), as well as patient preference information (PPI). Crucially, the framework would allow patients to benefit from integrated, proactive, personalised care. It would encourage preventive measures and support patients in their management of their health, while also enhancing coordination among healthcare professionals.

The project’s first step will be to explore the needs and expectations of key stakeholders such as patients, clinicians and caregivers to help shape the digital ecosystem. They will also start redefining outpatient care pathways and identifying opportunities in current practices to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of cardiometabolic diseases.

Next, the team will use the outputs from the project’s first phase to start designing the MCMC framework and digital ecosystem. Key here will be the design of an evidence-based model for standardising the integration of patient-reported metrics into clinical workflows. The project will also develop an AI-enhanced tool to collect, analyse and deliver personalised guidance and support to both patients and clinicians.

The MCMC framework will then be tested in use cases which will address different cardiometabolic conditions and a range of disease care and management issues.

Ultimately, IMPACT-MED’s framework will usher in a more proactive, participatory model of care that will support patients and clinicians in the management of cardiometabolic diseases, and drive innovation in the EU health sector by supporting the deployment of cost-effective digital health solutions.

The project will also contribute to key EU policy priorities, such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the AI Act.