From April 15 to 17, the city of Brescia (Italy) hosted the in-person meeting of the international consortium of the RAPHAEL project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. The meeting, held at the Centro Paolo VI, brought together researchers and professionals from various European countries with the aim of advancing in a coordinated manner across the different work packages of the project.
Over the three days, the consortium worked intensively on reviewing the progress achieved and planning the next phases, with a particular focus on the clinical work packages. This meeting provided an opportunity to align perspectives and strengthen collaboration among participating teams.
One of the key themes of the meeting was the reflection on patient participation (PPI, Patient and Public Involvement), emphasizing that it should not be understood merely as occasional participation, but as a real and meaningful integration of patients throughout the entire research process. This approach responds to one of the key priorities of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and the European Commission in the field of health research.
The second day focused on the evaluation study and on the available evidence regarding the impact of integrating palliative care into the management of patients with heart failure, a central aspect of the RAPHAEL project.
The meeting also hosted a new session of the RAPHAEL Junior Forum, where early-career researchers from different European countries shared experiences and reflected on the cultural relevance of their work. During this session, discussions addressed how cultural differences influence the needs and preferences of patients with heart failure and in palliative care, as well as the importance of designing more inclusive recruitment strategies that consider both patients and their families.
This forum provided a valuable opportunity for the exchange of perspectives, mutual learning, and joint reflection on how to make research within the RAPHAEL framework more inclusive and sensitive to cultural diversity.
In this context, the directors of our Chair, Cristina Monforte and Joaquim Julià, actively participated in the various working sessions, contributing to the scientific and strategic discussions of the project. During the meeting, they presented a feasibility study for a clinical trial aimed at assessing the reliability of the intervention applied to patients. This is a European multicentre study that will evaluate its impact on both patients and healthcare professionals. In addition, the Chair directors act as coordinators of this project and have also contributed to the design of other research initiatives presented within the consortium. Their participation reinforces the institution’s commitment to international research excellence and to promoting initiatives focused on improving patient care.
The RAPHAEL project thus continues to move forward as a leading initiative at the European level, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of innovative solutions for patients with heart failure and palliative care needs.
