CONFERENCE
In the recently concluded international project "Patients-centered SurvivorShip care plan after Cancer treatments based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence technologies" - PERSIST, 166 patients and 32 health specialists were involved in four European hospitals - in Spain, Belgium, Slovenia and also in Latvia, with the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia cooperating with the Riga East Clinical University Hospital. As a result, a new model of cancer care supported by various technological tools such as predictive models and web applications, among others, was created.
The recording of the presentation of the project results can be viewed online: https://projectpersist.com/we-persist-the-future-is-in-our-hands/
The goal of the PERSIST project, which was supported by the European Union with 5 million euros of funding, was to improve the quality of life of patients after cancer treatment, offering the possibility for doctors to effectively monitor the patient's state of health.
By combining the capabilities of big data and artificial intelligence, a new model of aftercare for cancer patients was developed using various technologies, including predictive models and apps. Based on artificial intelligence for the capture and standardisation of data for each patient, the system developed by PERSIST partners supports oncologists' decision making for the early detection of cancer recurrence. Project’s objective is based on supporting the best follow-up and intervention strategy, empowering patients to participate in their own care and promoting their emotional health in the fight against the fear of relapse and of not being detected early in primary care or in follow-up with their oncologist.
The project was led by the Spanish technology company "Gradiant", and 13 partners from 10 European countries participated in it. In Latvia, the project took place by cooperation between the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia and the Oncology Clinic of the Riga East Clinical University Hospital.
As part of the project in Latvia, each of the 46 participants used a smart wristband and a smartphone with the newly developed "mHealth" app.
The devices helped doctors remotely monitor various indicators of patient's emotional and physical health. The system included data from each patient's medical history and real-time data, including metrics such as blood pressure, heart rate, and video recorded by the patient using a mobile application. The obtained data and the possibilities provided by artificial intelligence were used in the further development of the innovative health care support system.
"The PERSIST project has allowed us to have a better understanding of the implications of cancer survival, both for the survivors themselves and for the health system and its professionals. It has also demonstrated how technology can support care models that put the patient at the centre, empower them to actively participate in the process, and allow better monitoring and definition of a personalised clinical strategy for each cancer survivor," explained Alberto Sánchez, head of eHealth at Gradiant and coordinator of PERSIST.
In Latvia, the project was led by the director of UL ICPM, the head of the Science Department of Riga East Clinical University Hospital, prof. Mārcis Leja, with the participation of UL ICPM Biobank expert Ilona Aleksandraviča. Surgeons Krista Arcimoviča and Anna Marija Leščinska of the Oncosurgery Clinic of the Oncology Centre of Latvia, Riga East Clinical University Hospital worked with the patients. The project was coordinated by UL ICPM researcher Dina Bēma.
PERSIST is a European project that started in 2020. Gradiant has coordinated all the research in which 13 entities from 10 countries have participated: Sergas and Dedalus (Spain); Univerza Mariboru and Univerzitetni Klinicni Center Maribor (Slovenia); Haute Ecole Specialisée De Suisse (Switzerland); Latvijas Universitate (Latvia); Cyberethics Lab (Italy); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (Belgium); Symptoma (Austria); Rubynanomed (Portugal); National Patients' Organization (Bulgaria); and Emoda (Turkey).
Read more on: https://projectpersist.com
This project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon 2020” research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 875406
