The Centro Hospitalar e Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) received this Tuesday, November 29, the national award “More Value in Health” with the innovative project that combines technology and circular economy in hospital management.
This is a project that allows, according to the group, «to increase the valences and manufacturing capacity of the Support Products Center, through the production of prostheses and orthoses, made to measure, using a scanner and 3D printing».
The new CHUA Support Products Center will enable the centralization of the entire support product system (technical aids) of the various units of the Hospital Centre, contemplating the needs of patients throughout the therapeutic process, in a more efficient and sustainable way.
This response, unique in the hospital landscape of the National Health Service (SNS), will allow «to streamline individual assessments within the scope of support products, providing differentiated and tailor-made solutions, minimizing hospitalization times and the rehabilitation process , and increase users' autonomy and functionality», says CHUA.
On the other hand, 3D printing of replacement components and the consequent process of reuse, recovery and recycling of thermoplastic, allows to increase the useful life of products, reducing their impact on the system. This use of the circular economy also makes it possible, in the medium term, to reduce costs and increase profitability, with an expectation of growth in the coming years.
In a note, the CHUA refers that this year it has already assisted an average of 10.000 users in outpatient clinics, in the area of physical medicine and rehabilitation, in the units of Faro, Portimão, Lagos and Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação do Sul, where around 1300 support products were prescribed, «in order to improve the autonomy of patients».
The newly created Nucleus of Support Products, integrated in the Department of Teaching, Innovation and Research CHUA (DEII) and in partnership with the Escola Superior de Saúde da UAlg, formally opened earlier this month by the Minister of Health, Manuel Pizarro, thus appears with the aim of contributing to a management strategy based on assumptions of sustainability and efficiency at the service of patients undergoing rehabilitation.
The CHUA winning project, integrated and coordinated by the Núcleo de Produtos de Apoio, conceived and directed by Clarisse Mendes, occupational therapist and doctoral student, will thus have access to specialized consulting services that will allow «to cement the culture of health management based on value, either through the implementation of process improvement strategies, with better clinical results and patient satisfaction, or through a better allocation of financial resources, involving the community with the reuse and quality certification of ongoing Products» , stresses CHUA.
The “More Value in Health – Vidas que Valem” grants are intended to support projects that aim to implement innovations, changes or improvements in SNS hospitals, with the ultimate purpose of obtaining the best health results, annually distinguishing four projects of an interdisciplinary nature.
The Mais Valor em Saúde Program – Vidas que Valem is a partnership between the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators, the companies Exigo, Gilead Sciences and IASIST, in the consulting area, and Altice, as a technological partner. It also has the institutional support of the Order of Nurses, the Order of Pharmacists and the Order of Doctors.
The evaluation of the applications was in charge of a jury chaired by Maria de Belém and included Miguel Guimarães, president of the Ordem dos Médicos, Rui Pinto, from the national board of the Ordem dos Farmacêuticos, Ana Rita Cavaco, president of the Ordem dos Enfermeiros, Pedro Pita Barros, health economist, Xavier Barreto, president of APAH, and Vera Arreigoso, journalist specializing in health issues.
The award ceremony took place this Tuesday in Lisbon.
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