On Friday, February 21, the closing event of the EUROPEAN HEALTH CARE FINAL DISSERTATION: a digital, international, and collaborative co-designed model to address health care societal challenges (EHECADI project) took place.
The project is coordinated by the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and is an Erasmus+ European initiative led by Principal Investigator (PI) Ester Goutan Roura. It has developed a digital, international, collaborative, and co-created model to address social and health challenges through an international online platform.
This initiative supports students from various health disciplines (nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and human nutrition and dietetics) in tackling health issues through International Final Degree Projects (TFG).
The event was organized by the TIC Salut Social Foundation (FTSS) and was held at the Assembly Hall of the Salvany Building of the Health Department in Barcelona, with both in-person and online audiences.
The event began with a speech by Jordi Vilana-González, Director General of Health Professionals, who highlighted the importance of planning healthcare professionals at the territorial level and addressing challenges such as population aging, adaptation to new technologies, managing medication costs, and the need for innovation from all professionals in the sector.
Next, Ester Goutan presented the project’s main outcomes, structured into three key areas: EHECADI Community: Co-created with students to share knowledge between academia and stakeholders, identify societal needs, and direct international TFGs toward these issues; EHECADI Course: A modular, open, and digital course, co-designed, piloted, and evaluated with students, enhancing responsible research, digital skills, and transversal competencies; Guidelines: Materials designed to facilitate the use of the project’s resources for students, supervisors, and institutions.
Following this, Elisenda Reixach-Espaulella, Head of the Image, Medical, and Training Area at FTSS, presented the Compdig-Salut project, focused on training healthcare professionals in digital skills. She detailed the creation of a digital skills map, the development of an evaluation and accreditation model, and the implementation of training pathways to improve digital capabilities in healthcare.
Later, the nurse and former student collaborator of the project, Júlia Casacuberta Roca, shared her experience in the EHECADI project in a panel moderated by Javier Jerez-Roig, a researcher of the project. She highlighted her participation in the first student cohort, her involvement in the co-creation of the EHECADI Course in Finland, and her connection of her TFG to the project. Additionally, she emphasized the skills gained, such as interdisciplinarity, multiculturalism, empathy, leadership, management, problem-solving, critical thinking, and the opportunity for internationalization from home.
Judit Bort-Roig, TFG coordinator of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare (FCSB) at UVic-UCC, demonstrated how to integrate the project’s resources into higher education programs. She emphasized that this academic year, a module of the EHECADI Course will already be implemented in some subjects, contributing to the project’s sustainability.
The event concluded with a speech by Joan Guanyabens-Calvet, Director of FTSS, who reflected on all the work accomplished and the impact of the project on healthcare and digital education.
This event marked the conclusion of the project aimed at addressing health and social needs through International Final Undergraduate Dissertations in an interdisciplinary, international, and digital manner.
If you would like to learn more about the project, you can visit the EHECADI Knowledge Hub.
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