Improving patient-centred care: RSU researcher attends Health.Tech Summit in Switzerland

Asst. Prof. Lauma Sprinģe, researcher at the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Institute of Public Health, participated in the Health.Tech Summit in Basel, Switzerland, from 3 to 5 March 2026. The summit brought together experts in healthcare, technology, and innovation to discuss digital solutions for improving patient care.

Participation in the summit was related to the study "Patient reported outcome measures in breast cancer patients: a pilot study" (RSU-PAG-2024/1-0016), implemented at the Institute of Public Health and carried out within the framework of the project "RSU internal and RSU with LASE external consolidation" (No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/005). Within this study, internationally used patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) questionnaires for breast cancer patients were translated and validated in Latvia for the first time, in order to analyse self-reported health status, quality of life, and the impact of treatment on daily life of Latvian breast cancer patients. The information obtained provides an important foundation for the development of patient-centered care in Latvia.

Participation in the summit provided an opportunity to gain practical knowledge and establish contacts related to digital patient monitoring and patient engagement solutions that may help advance the use of PROMs in healthcare. The summit also offered a broader insight into current trends and technological innovations in healthcare, as well as discussions on key challenges, including data security, effective use of health data, and the implementation of new digital solutions in practice.

The knowledge and contacts gained provide a valuable foundation for the development of patient-reported outcome measures in Latvia, promoting solutions that can improve breast cancer patient care in the future.