The SCALE UP project – Scaling up Pulmonary Rehabilitation uptake and adherence: co-design and implementation of a hybrid intervention – was one of the 768 projects funded under the 2023 Call for Scientific Research and Technological Development (IC&DT) Projects in All Scientific Domains, from a total of 2,551 submitted applications. The project will be funded by national and European funds, with a total amount of 250,000 euros.

Joana Cruz, a researcher at ciTechCare, will be the principal investigator of the project, which aims to improve access and adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), as well as to maintain its long-term benefits in patients with chronic lung disease. Access to and adherence to this type of intervention are significantly low, despite of PR being a key component in the management of chronic respiratory diseases, with demonstrated evidence in improving symptoms, exercise tolerance, and quality of life.

A multidisciplinary team—comprising professionals from the fields of health, design, computer science, and statistics—will be responsible for creating a hybrid intervention based on the co-design of a digital platform. This platform will take into account the needs and preferences of both patients and healthcare professionals, to ensure its effectiveness, safety, and relevance.

In addition to ciTechCare, research units from the Polytechnic of Leiria—CIIC and LIDA—will also be involved in the project. The initiative will further benefit  from the collaboration of renowned national and international consultants, including experts from the University of Aveiro (Portugal), Pulido Valente Hospital (Santa Maria Local Health Unit, Lisbon), Universiteit Hasselt (Belgium), and McMaster University (Canada).

The project started in september and will run for three years. The SCALE UP projet is funded by the COMPETE2030 program, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).