Since December 2021 that the protocol between Hospital Center of Leiria (CHL) and Politécnico of Leiria (IPL) enables the performance of cardiopulmonary stress test, contributing to the extension of the pneumology and cardiology services competencies.  

In an interview with Hospital Público, Salvato Feijó, Director of the Pneumology Service at Centro Hospitalar de Leiria (CHL), recognize that from the service genesis, in 2015, has been registered an increase of the responsiveness, not only in terms of training but also in research and patients’ assistance and states that “there is a very close relationship to the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, especially in the figure of ciTechCare”. To the Director of the pneumology service the main goal is that “together we can develop research projects, improve graduated and post-graduated training of students and professionals and also the patient assistance”.   

The protocol, formalized 6 months ago, stablished that both entities can use the stress test equipment and that this would be placed in the pneumology service.  

João Neiva Machado, one of the most recent pneumologists integrating the service, reveals that, with the technical and human resources provided by ciTechCare, it has been possible to “constitute a multidisciplinar team that, with material and human contributions, can respond to the patients requests not only on the assistencial way but also in the clinical trials contexts”.  

From march 9 until now, once a week, stress tests have been introduced into the pneumology and cardiology services routine. This equipment is also an essential tool to the cardiac rehabilitation programs, conducted by Alexandre Antunes.  

The importance of such equipment for the rehabilitation programs but also for other particular pulmonary diseases is also exposed by João Machado since this is “the most complete examination to assess the exercise, which aims to identify if there is any limitation concerning the respiratory, cardiovascular, muscular or metabolic system or any deconditioning”, tells the specialist.  

Besides the medical community, the ciTechCare also uses this equipment to develop cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation projects. Also, it has been significantly important to the physical exercise prescription.   

The balance, after the past 6 months, confirms the fruitful partnership which is providing better healthcare solutions and innovating in the scientific research field.  

 The published new is available here: https://www.justnews.pt/publicacoes/hospital-publico-33-marcoabril-2022/#.Yoy4KqjMJPZ