ALTHEA

tAckLing menTal Health cancer patients and their families: digital solutions for bEtter cAre

This project, co-funded by the European Union’s EU4Health Programme (EU4H-2023-PJ), aims to develop and implement a web-based platform that would facilitate the screening of mental health issues among cancer patients/survivors and their families while supporting healthcare providers in delivering tailored psychological support. The European Institute of Oncology (IEO) will serve as the project coordinator, overseeing the entire workflow to ensure seamless collaboration among all partners. In addition to its management role, IEO will also act as a clinical partner, participating actively as a testing site to evaluate the platform's effectiveness in real-world settings.

OBJECTIVES

SO1: Trigger systematic screening of the mental health status of cancer patients, their carers, and families to identify persons at risk of developing mental health problems.

SO2: Promote access to psychological and psychosocial support and targeted interventions for cancer patients/ survivors, their carers or families, with a specific focus on support for children, adolescents, young adults, and elderly with cancer.

SO3: Develop a set of practical documents (e.g., guidelines, recommendations) to guide and support health professionals (e.g., working in primary cancer care and/or hospitals), to support mental health inclusion in the entirety of the patient cancer care pathway.

SO4: Develop and piloting of methodologies for identifying cancer patients/survivors, their families, and informal carers, with risk factors for mental health challenges, including testing, adjustment, and replication of these methodologies at the EU level.

SO5: Implement measures to effectively mitigate mental health inequalities, with a particular focus on exploring the potential of innovative and promising approaches.

WORK PACKAGES

WP1 – Project management and coordination. WP-1 serves as the central hub for the effective execution and coordination of all activities within the project. The primary objectives of WP1 are to ensure seamless communication and organization between the consortium and the European Union (EU).

WP2 – User-centered design approach and stakeholders needs analysis. WP-2 focuses on understanding the needs, preferences, and challenges of various stakeholders involved in systematic screening for mental health issues and providing psychological/cognitive support within the context of cancer care. This work package employs a user-centered design approach to ensure that the developed solutions meet the specific requirements and expectations of the end-users.

WP3 – Disparities in mental health screening and support. WP-3 aims to address the disparities in mental health screening and support for cancer patients and their families across the European Union (EU). This work package focuses on mapping existing capabilities, capacities, and patient care procedures, assessing adherence to guidelines, identifying innovative methods and digital solutions, and developing clinical recommendations to improve mental health services within comprehensive cancer centers.

WP4 – Design and development of Althea platform for systematic screening of mental health and psychological support. WP-4 is dedicated to the design and development of an integrated platform aimed at facilitating systematic screening of mental health issues and providing psychological support for cancer patients and their families. The Althea platform will consist of a mobile application for patients and a web portal for healthcare providers, incorporating various features and modules to enhance accessibility, communication, and decision-making processes.

WP5 – Deployment and testing of the Althea platform. WP-5 is dedicated to the comprehensive implementation, deployment, and rigorous testing of the Althea platform across partner institutions in multiple countries within the European Union (EU). This phase encompasses a formal analysis of the platform's effectiveness in reducing patient distress and addressing unmet needs, as well as evaluating various implementation factors at both macro and micro levels.

WP6 – Stakeholder involvement, Policy Outreach, Dissemination and Communication. WP-6 is dedicated to ensuring active engagement with stakeholders, policy implementation, dissemination, and effective communication strategies throughout the project lifecycle. WP6 focuses on fostering collaboration, raising awareness, and building synergies to enhance the scalability and sustainability of the project's outcomes.

ALTHEA CONSORTIUM

The Althea consortium is composed of 29 partners around Europe. Coordinator: P.I. Prof. Gabriella Pravettoni., Ph.D. European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy

• Clinical centers will test the Althea platform. Contribute actively in designing and developing the solution, map disparities in mental health care, and provide clinical recommendations.
• Executive committee will monitor and supervise all aspects of the project's progress, encompassing scientific, technical, and administrative components
• Scientific, Stakeholder and Technical steering committee will provide feedback on the main findings and research activities along the entire project, and actively collaborate in drafting the requested guidelines.
• Patient advocacy, ethics, legal and regulation oversight committee will provide feedback on the main findings and research activities throughout the entire project. It will provide important advice regarding the contents and the design of the Althea Platform, and contribute to patients' engagement.
• Research consultative partners will provide advice and feedback on research procedures and methodologies.
• Platform design consultative partners will provide valuable insights, guidance, and recommendations regarding the platform's content, functionality, scalability, and performance.
• Technology experts will develop, maintain, and evaluate the Althea platform, ensuring it meets the highest standards of technical excellence and research rigor
• Partners responsible for dissemination will provide the dissemination of the Althea project and research results worldwide.

Co - funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HaDEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.