The STOP-IATRO project brings together a consortium of 6 organizations from 3 European countries (Spain, France, and Portugal). Its main goal is to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about the risks of iatrogenesis, that is, the adverse effects that may arise from medical care and treatments in older people. Based on WHO recommendations (ICOPE program), the project seeks to adopt collective strategies to prevent medical complications that can lead to the loss of autonomy in the elderly.
The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly affected vulnerable populations, such as the elderly. This has increased barriers to accessing essential healthcare services and has deteriorated the quality of care. Although there are national recommendations for preventing adverse reactions to care or medication, their implementation has significantly decreased since the health crisis. These recommendations, created before the pandemic, no longer take into account the current limitations faced by healthcare professionals.
The STOP-IATRO project is organized around four main axes:
- Identifying obstacles and facilitating factors: Understanding why recommendations are not followed and assessing the knowledge of the involved healthcare professionals.
- Developing an inclusive territorial strategy: This strategy should bridge the gap between community and hospital settings, including different professionals using innovative methods of collective and social intelligence.
- Creating training programs: These programs are intended to train healthcare professionals in preventing iatrogenic dependence.
- Implementing pilot actions: These actions, jointly defined with local stakeholders, will be carried out for both healthcare professionals and patients.
With these initiatives, STOP-IATRO aims to improve the quality of care for older people and to prevent risks related to iatrogenesis.
