Category: Artificial Intelligence

Supporting Cancer Patients at Home: The Power of Partnerships in Integrated Care — Doctorhomie & Kapa3

The experience of cancer is not confined to the hours spent at a medical appointment, receiving treatment or being admitted to hospital. A large part of the patient’s actual cancer journey unfolds at home: where symptoms and side effects are managed, medications and appointments are organised, information is sought, work and family life need to continue and, very often, a relative or friend takes on the role of caregiver.

This is why today’s discussion about the quality of cancer care cannot stop at the hospital door.

International literature is increasingly moving towards models of integrated, person-centred and multidisciplinary care, in which health is connected with everyday life, the family, the social environment and the wider community [1,2].

A recent review of health and social care models across the Mediterranean highlights several key elements: a holistic approach, collaboration among professionals, individual empowerment and stronger connections between healthcare services, social care and support at home.

When Home Becomes Part of the Care Pathway

For a person living with cancer, needs cannot easily be divided into “medical” and “social”.

On the same day, someone may need guidance on managing a side effect, assistance with an administrative procedure, information about a benefit or entitlement, psychological support, or access to a professional who can provide care at home.

Cancer also affects employment and financial life. In a population-based study of women with breast cancer, the burden of treatment was associated with significant absence from work and, in some cases, withdrawal from employment altogether, while access to paid sick leave and flexible working arrangements appeared to have a protective effect [3].

The need for integrated support is therefore not an abstract concept. It concerns a person’s ability to continue their life as safely and independently as possible.

What Kapa3’s Everyday Experience Tells Us

Data from Kapa3 – Cancer Patient Guidance Centre reflect this complexity within the Greek context.

Between 27 January and 30 July 2026, Kapa3 recorded 1,251 telephone contacts — 614 incoming and 637 outgoing calls — as well as 497 emails sent to beneficiaries.

Through email-based counselling interventions, 241 people submitted more than 300 requests, covering 52 different categories of need.

Exemptions and social benefits represented the largest category, followed by disability certification through KEPA, the Greek Disability Certification Centres, as well as matters relating to pensions, appeals, healthcare coverage and transportation.

At the same time, requests also concerned palliative care, psychological support, private-duty nursing, hospital beds, personal assistants, home-help services, rehabilitation centres and caregiver leave.

These data remind us of something fundamental:

A person with cancer does not simply need more information. They need support in understanding which information applies to their own situation and what the appropriate next step should be.

Caregivers Cannot Remain “Invisible”

Scientific evidence is particularly clear regarding the burden experienced by family caregivers.

Caregivers are often required to organise appointments, transportation and medication, assist with everyday and sometimes even clinical needs, while at the same time providing continuous emotional support [4].

This burden can significantly affect mental health and quality of life. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported high levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety and psychological distress among family caregivers [5–7].

In advanced cancer, existential distress, anticipatory grief, loneliness and death anxiety have also been described [8]. These rates should always be interpreted as findings from screening assessments and not automatically as clinical diagnoses.

At the same time, social support appears to have a protective effect. A recent umbrella review associated higher levels of perceived social support with reduced caregiver burden and better psychological well-being [9].

This is why contemporary dyadic interventions increasingly view the patient and caregiver as an interconnected system rather than as two independent individuals [10].

Integrated patient care is therefore difficult to achieve when the person providing care remains without adequate information, education and support.

From Information to Navigation

This is where patient navigation plays a critical role.

Patient navigation was developed specifically to reduce barriers, facilitate coordination and support continuity throughout the cancer care pathway. A recent systematic review highlights the contribution of patient navigation programmes in addressing practical and organisational barriers during cancer treatment [11].

This is also the principle on which the Kapa3 model has been developed:

not to create yet another isolated service, but to help people connect with the services and resources that already exist.

A patient should not be expected to know in advance whether their question belongs to KEPA, a social service, a healthcare professional, a psychological support service or a home-care provider.

What they need is a trusted point from which to begin.

Myrto: When Technology Supports Navigation

It is precisely this need that has also led to the development of Myrto, Kapa3’s digital assistant.

Its philosophy is not to replace professionals, nor to turn a complex human journey into an impersonal digital process.

The goal is to create an accessible point of reference where people can express their needs and be guided towards appropriate, evidence-based information and the next relevant step.

Digital health can offer significant advantages: remote access to support, flexibility, easier access to information, personalisation and better coordination [12,13].

Among caregivers of people with cancer, eHealth interventions have also been studied as tools that may support self-management, provide assistance and help reduce caregiver burden.

However, technology does not automatically create equality.

Age, limited digital health literacy, sensory or functional limitations and difficulties in accessing technology can create new forms of digital exclusion [14].

This is why the real question is not “digital or human?”

What is needed is a hybrid model, in which technology reduces distance while human support remains available whenever it is needed.

The Strength of the Kapa3–Doctorhomie Partnership

Within this framework, the collaboration between Kapa3 and Doctorhomie, a digital platform for primary and home-based healthcare, takes on a very practical meaning.

The roles of the two organisations are different, yet complementary.

Kapa3 contributes through the identification of needs, reliable information, social guidance and patient navigation.

When an identified need concerns a healthcare service or professional care at home, the ability to connect with an organised home-care platform can become the next important link in the patient’s pathway.

The logic is simple:

identifying the need → reliable information → navigation → appropriate professional or service → support at home → continuity of care

Quality, after all, does not depend solely on whether a service is available.

Studies in primary care highlight reliability, responsiveness, safety and empathy as fundamental dimensions of the patient experience [15].

Building a Network Around the Person

Integrated cancer care does not mean that one organisation must provide everything.

It means that patients should not be left alone to discover who provides what and where they should turn next.

It also means recognising the caregiver, not underestimating the social and psychological dimensions of cancer, using technology to facilitate access rather than create exclusion, and enabling different organisations and professionals to work together around the real needs of each person.

Because the future of cancer care does not lie only in the personalisation of treatment.

It also lies in the personalisation of understanding, navigation and support.

And that care must be able to follow people wherever life continues:

at home, within the family and throughout everyday life.

Learn more about the Kapa3–Doctorhomie collaboration

The collaboration between Kapa3 and Doctorhomie aims to strengthen support for cancer patients and their families through information, research, innovation and improved connections with home-based care services.

Edited by: Evangeli Bista, PhD(c), MBA, MSc, BSc
Co-founder, Kapa3 / Head of Operations and Development

CANCER PATIENT GUIDANCE CENTRE – KAPA3
13 Kosti Palama Street, 11141 Athens, Greece – 3rd Floor
Tel.: +30 210 5221424
Mobile: +30 690 6265170 (09:00–17:00)
Email: info@kapa3.gr

References

  1. Porcel-Gálvez AM, Allande-Cussó R, Mac Fadden I, Ferentinou E, Zafiropoulou M, Lima-Serrano M. Socio-Healthcare for Older People in the Mediterranean Basin: An Integrative Review and Quality Appraisal. Public Health Nursing. 2024. doi:10.1111/phn.13453.
  2. Phillips JL, Currow DC. Cancer as a chronic disease. Collegian. 2010;17:47–50.
  3. Jagsi R, Abrahamse PH, Lee KL, et al. Treatment Decisions and Employment of Breast Cancer Patients: Results of a Population-Based Survey. Cancer. 2017;123:4791–4799. doi:10.1002/cncr.30959.
  4. National Cancer Institute. Support for Caregivers: When Someone You Love Is Being Treated for Cancer. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health.
  5. Akter J, Konlan KD, Nesa M, Ispriantari A. Factors influencing cancer patients’ caregivers’ burden and quality of life: An integrative review. Heliyon. 2023;9(11):e21243.
  6. Pan YC, Lin YS. Systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence of depression among caregivers of cancer patients. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2022;13:817936.
  7. Bedaso A, Dejenu G, Duko B. Depression among caregivers of cancer patients: Updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology. 2022;31(11):1809–1820. doi:10.1002/pon.6045.
  8. Walbaum C, Philipp R, Oechsle K, Ullrich A, Vehling S. Existential distress among family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology. 2024;33(1):e6239.
  9. Cipolletta S, et al. The Role of Social Support in the Experience of Informal Caregivers of Cancer Patients: An Umbrella Review. Psycho-Oncology. 2026. doi:10.1002/pon.70430.
  10. Li L, Zhu C, Yan Q, Li J, Chen Y, Hu X. Effectiveness of dyadic interventions on quality of life for cancer patients and family caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2025;34(8):3383–3405.
  11. Chen M, Wu VS, Falk D, Cheatham C, Cullen J, Hoehn R. Patient Navigation in Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review. Current Oncology Reports. 2024;26(5):504–537. doi:10.1007/s11912-024-01514-9.
  12. Σκανδαλάκη Ν, Κωνσταντινίδης Θ. Παρεμβάσεις ηλεκτρονικής υγείας για την υποστήριξη φροντιστών ογκολογικών ασθενών. Νοσηλευτική. 2024;63(1):17–26.
  13. Li Y, Li J, Zhang Y, Ding Y, Hu X. The effectiveness of e-Health interventions on caregiver burden, depression, and quality of life in informal caregivers of patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2022;127:104179.
  14. Τσόλη Ε, Καυγά Α, Δρακοπούλου Μ, Γκοβίνα Ο, Καλεμικεράκης Ι. Η χρήση της ψηφιακής τεχνολογίας υγείας στους ηλικιωμένους. Αρχεία Ελληνικής Ιατρικής. 2024;41(4):477–484.
  15. Αρμένη ΜΑ, Καυγά Α, Γκοβίνα Ο, Καλεμικεράκης Ι. Αξιολόγηση της ποιότητας των παρεχόμενων υπηρεσιών σε δομές πρωτοβάθμιας φροντίδας υγείας. Αρχεία Ελληνικής Ιατρικής. 2024;41(1):115–121.
  16. Darley A, Coughlan B, Furlong E. People with cancer and their family caregivers’ personal experience of using supportive eHealth technology: A narrative review. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2021;54:102030.
  17. Verma R, Saldanha C, Ellis U, Sattar S, Haase KR. eHealth literacy among older adults living with cancer and their caregivers: A scoping review. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2022;13:555–562.
  18. Schiess LC, Song LL, Schädelin S, et al. Nonpharmacologic interventions for managing distress, anxiety, and depression for patients with cancer and their family caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2026;76(2):e70076. doi:10.3322/caac.70076.
  19. Su H, Tam KI, Li Y. Factors associated with death anxiety in family caregivers of cancer patients: A systematic review. BMC Palliative Care. 2026;25:175.
  20. Νικολούδη ΜΕ. Ελληνική εκδοχή του δείκτη ελπίδας Herth σε ογκολογικούς ασθενείς: Ψυχομετρική ανάλυση και μελέτη περίπτωσης. Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, 2020.

Kapa3 joins PERIFORMANCE: From Information to Trust in Cancer Care

Kapa3 – Cancer Guidance Centre is pleased to announce that its proposal, “From Information to Trust: MYRTO Patient & Citizen Lab for Equal Access in Cancer Care,” has been selected for funding under the PERIFORMANCE Open Call for Bottom-Up Stakeholder Engagement Initiatives in Cancer Research & Care.

The initiative places patients, caregivers, healthcare and social care professionals, civil society organisations and local communities at the heart of the process, creating a participatory framework for the ethical, trustworthy and inclusive use of AI-enabled cancer navigation.

Putting patients and citizens at the centre

The project is closely linked to MYRTO, Kapa3’s AI-enabled digital social assistant designed to support people affected by cancer in navigating health, social care, administrative procedures and rights-related information.

PERIFORMANCE funding will not support the core technical development of MYRTO. Instead, the project will focus on building the participatory, educational and ethical layer around the tool, ensuring that its future development is shaped by the real needs, experiences and expectations of the people who will use it.

This approach reflects a key principle for Kapa3: technology should not replace human care. When designed responsibly, however, it can become a powerful tool for improving access, empowerment and equality.

From local communities to a national dialogue

The engagement pathway will include regional listening activities, a thematic focus on vulnerable and underrepresented groups, and a central MYRTO Patient & Citizen Lab in Athens.

Particular attention will be given to caregivers, older patients, migrants, people with disabilities, people with low health or digital literacy, socially vulnerable groups and people living far from specialised oncology services.

The Athens Lab will be integrated into Kapa3’s national conference “Equality in Access”, creating a space for synthesising regional experiences, identifying trust criteria and collecting patient and caregiver perspectives on AI-supported navigation.

What does trust in AI-supported cancer navigation mean?

At the heart of the project lies a fundamental question:

What does a person need in order to trust a digital tool during one of the most sensitive periods of their life?

Through co-creation and stakeholder engagement, the initiative will explore issues such as:

  • reliability and clarity of information,
  • data protection and privacy,
  • accessibility and digital inclusion,
  • responsible use of Artificial Intelligence,
  • prevention of bias and exclusion,
  • human oversight,
  • and clear referral pathways to appropriate professionals when human support is needed.

Bringing together science, civil society and lived experience

Kapa3 will coordinate the initiative and lead its design, implementation, facilitation, patient and community outreach, dissemination and reporting.

The project will be supported by a multidisciplinary academic and scientific collaboration network involving the International Hellenic University – Department of Nursing, University of West Attica – Department of Occupational Therapy, Democritus University of Thrace – Department of Social Work, and University of the Peloponnese – Department of Nursing. simasiaAI will provide technical support for MYRTO-related digital materials and the AI navigation environment.

The project is expected to produce practical resources including a Patient Guidance Toolkit, a Trust & Human Escalation Checklist, a Training and Dissemination Package, and an Engagement & Trust Report.

From information to trust

For Kapa3, participation in PERIFORMANCE marks another step towards ensuring that the patient voice is present not only when new services and technologies are evaluated, but from the very beginning of their design.

With MYRTO, the question is no longer simply:

“How can we provide more information?”

It is increasingly:

“How can we turn information into understanding, trust, safety and real access?”

Because responsible digital health innovation begins with people.

Evangeli Bista Joins the PATH Expert Group as an Independent Expert: Bringing the Patient Perspective into the New Era of AI in Cancer Care

A new contribution to the European dialogue on safe, responsible and human-centred Artificial Intelligence in healthcare

Evangeli Bista, Co-founder and Head of Operations and Development of Kapa3 – Cancer Guidance Centre, has been invited to join the Expert Group of the European research and innovation project PATH – Patient AI Treatment Hub as an independent expert.

Her participation is undertaken in a personal and independent capacity, with her professional affiliation to Kapa3 – Cancer Guidance Centre, creating an opportunity to bring into the European dialogue experience gained through direct engagement with people affected by cancer, survivors, caregivers and healthcare professionals. The PATH Terms explicitly define Expert Group members as acting independently rather than as partners, employees, agents or subcontractors of the Consortium.

What is PATH – Patient AI Treatment Hub?

PATH – Patient AI Treatment Hub is a European research and innovation project focused on supporting the safe and effective integration of Artificial Intelligence into cancer care through the development of a secure, interoperable and privacy-preserving digital platform.

The project aims to explore how Artificial Intelligence tools can be safely integrated into cancer-care pathways, supporting healthcare professionals and contributing to more personalised approaches while safeguarding privacy and health data.

At the heart of this effort lies a critical question:

How can technological innovation create meaningful value for patients while preserving trust, human oversight, safety and equity?

Participation in the PATH Expert Group

As a member of the PATH Expert Group, Evangeli Bista will contribute independent expertise, opinions, input, comments and feedback in relation to selected project use cases and activities.

The experience developed through Kapa3’s work can contribute to discussions around issues such as:

  • patient-centred cancer care,
  • patient navigation across health and social-care systems,
  • equitable access to information and services,
  • health and digital literacy,
  • health and social rights,
  • responsible use and protection of health data,
  • transparency and human oversight in Artificial Intelligence systems,
  • meaningful involvement of patients and civil society in technology design,
  • and translating technological innovation into real value for people.

Why the Patient Voice Must Be Part of Innovation

Artificial Intelligence is creating new possibilities for healthcare and cancer care. At the same time, its growing use raises important questions concerning trust, transparency, safety, equitable access and human oversight.

For Kapa3, the development of a digital solution cannot begin solely with the question of what is technologically possible.

It must also ask:

What does the patient actually need?

Can people understand the information they receive?

Do they know where that information comes from?

Can they trust the system?

Is it clear when Artificial Intelligence is being used and when human professional judgement is required?

Could digital inequalities lead to new inequalities in healthcare?

And ultimately, does innovation genuinely improve the experience and pathway of a person facing cancer?

These are questions that we believe should remain at the centre of the European discussion on Artificial Intelligence in healthcare.

Kapa3’s experience in digital health

Evangeli Bista’s participation in the PATH Expert Group comes at a time when Kapa3 is systematically expanding its work in digital health, patient navigation and the responsible use of emerging technologies to support people affected by cancer.

This broader work also includes MYRTO – Digital Navigator for Health and Social Rights, an independent Kapa3 initiative developed to help transform complex and often fragmented information on rights, benefits and administrative procedures into more accessible, structured and evidence-based guidance for patients and caregivers.

MYRTO is not part of PATH, and the two initiatives are independent from one another.

However, the experience of developing patient-facing digital services has reinforced several principles that Kapa3 considers essential:

reliable information, transparent sources, understandable communication, data protection, human oversight and a clear pathway to professional support when technology alone is not enough.

This distinction is also important from an intellectual-property perspective, since the PATH Terms preserve intellectual property that exists independently of the Expert’s Services and is not incorporated into PATH Contributions.

From information to trust

Digital transformation in healthcare is not simply about more data, more algorithms or more applications.

It is about creating greater understanding, better access and stronger trust.

For a person facing cancer, information has value when it can be translated into a meaningful next step.

Technology has value when it reduces — rather than increases — complexity.

And Artificial Intelligence has value when it strengthens, rather than replaces, human care, professional judgement and the patient’s ability to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their life and health.

A new opportunity to contribute to the European dialogue

For Kapa3, the invitation to Evangeli Bista to participate as an independent expert in the PATH Expert Group represents an important opportunity to bring into the European dialogue experience, needs and concerns emerging from the real-world context of cancer care and patient support.

The objective remains clear:

Artificial Intelligence in healthcare should advance with safety, transparency, responsibility, equitable access and meaningful involvement of the people it is designed to serve.

Because innovation creates real value when it is designed with people and for people.

PATH – Patient AI Treatment Hub | At a glance

Field: Artificial Intelligence and data in cancer care
Project: PATH – Patient AI Treatment Hub
Focus: Safe and effective integration of AI into cancer care through secure, interoperable and privacy-preserving approaches.
Expert Group: Independent external experts providing expertise, opinions, input, comments and feedback to the Project.
Independent Expert: Evangeli Bista
Professional role: Co-founder & Head of Operations and Development
Affiliation: Kapa3 – Cancer Guidance Centre

 

New Scientific Publication with the Participation of Kapa3: Cancer Survivorship in the Post-COVID-19 Era

New scientific publication involving the Cancer Patient Guidance Center – Kapa3 highlights the significant psychological, social, and functional challenges that people living with and beyond cancer continue to face following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The article, entitled “Cancer Survivorship After COVID-19: Psychological Burden, Symptom Experience, and Social Support,” was published in the international peer-reviewed journal Medicina. It examines psychological distress, symptom experience, quality of life, and the protective role of social support among people affected by cancer.

What Did the Study Examine?

The research involved 162 adults diagnosed with cancer in Greece during the post-COVID-19 period. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, stress, health-related quality of life, and perceived social support.

The results revealed a substantial and persistent psychological burden:

  • 32.1% of participants reported severe or extremely severe depression.
  • 40.1% reported severe or extremely severe anxiety.
  • 29% reported severe or extremely severe stress.

The overall quality of life of participants was found to be moderate. Emotional and social functioning were among the most affected areas, while fatigue, insomnia, breathlessness, and financial difficulties emerged as some of the most significant challenges in everyday life.

The Close Relationship Between Mental Health and Quality of Life

One of the study’s key findings was the strong relationship between psychological distress and poorer quality of life.

Higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were associated with:

  • poorer daily and functional performance;
  • lower perceived overall health;
  • greater symptom severity;
  • increased difficulty in emotional and social functioning.

The results demonstrate that psychological well-being cannot be separated from the physical, social, and practical experience of cancer.

Social Support as a Protective Factor

At the same time, the study underlines the important protective role of social support.

Support from family members, friends, and other significant people was associated with better overall health and functioning, lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and reduced symptom burden.

The findings show that social connection is not simply an additional element of care. It is a meaningful component of recovery, adaptation, and quality of life throughout the cancer journey.

Cancer Survivorship Does Not End When Treatment Is Completed

The findings reinforce the need to move beyond a model of oncology care focused exclusively on treating the disease.

Cancer survivorship requires a comprehensive, person-centred approach that addresses the physical, psychological, social, functional, and financial dimensions of life with and after cancer.

Routine psychological assessment, early identification of emotional distress, timely referral to psycho-oncology services, rehabilitation, social support, and the meaningful involvement of families and caregivers should become integral parts of standard oncology care.

The study also points to the potential value of telehealth and digital support services in improving access to supportive care. At the same time, it highlights inequalities related to digital literacy, healthcare accessibility, and the ability of all patients to benefit equally from digital services.

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that effective cancer care must be resilient, accessible, multidisciplinary, and capable of maintaining continuity even during periods of crisis.

Read more medicina-4429149

Participation in CA21152 – Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care

Digital Health and Cancer Survivorship: Kapa3 at the INE-CSC 2026 Conference in Coimbra

The Cancer Guidance Center – Kapa3 participated in the INE-CSC 2026 Conference, part of CA21152 – Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care (INE-CSC), held on 25–26 May 2026 at the Faculty of Medicine (Polo III), University of Coimbra, in Coimbra, Portugal.

The conference was held under the theme “The Next Chapter – Empowering Individuals, Families, and Society for Cancer Survivorship & Supportive Care”, highlighting the need for new approaches to cancer survivorship, supportive care and the translation of innovation into real-world impact for people living with and beyond cancer, their families and society.

Kapa3’s presence in Coimbra represents another important step in its European engagement and in its ongoing effort to connect everyday experience in supporting cancer patients in Greece with European knowledge, research, digital innovation and health policy.

A key highlight was the participation in a round table discussion on facilitators and barriers to the implementation of digital health tools in oncology. The discussion was co-organised by Aristea Kyriaki Ladas and Christos Frantzidis and brought together voices from different European countries and organisations, including representatives from Kapa3, Acreditar Portugal, Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro, ORCO / Madrid Regional Ministry of Health, as well as participants from Poland, Latvia and the United Kingdom.

Among the participants in the round table were Yannis Kontogiorgis and Despoina Pistiolis from Kapa3, Greece, contributing to the European dialogue on digital health, oncology navigation and the participatory development of solutions that respond to the real needs of patients and caregivers.

One of the key messages of the discussion was that digital innovation in oncology is not only a technological challenge. It is also a matter of policy, implementation, equity, trust and accessibility.

For digital tools to make a meaningful difference in cancer care and survivorship, they cannot remain isolated applications or pilot projects. They need to become part of real care pathways, be supported by appropriate policy environments, connect with interdisciplinary practice and be evaluated in terms of effectiveness, implementation readiness, accessibility, equity, sustainability and value.

The discussion also highlighted that digital tools must be designed around the real needs of patients and survivors, not only around technical possibilities. Accessibility across countries, languages, healthcare systems and levels of digital and health literacy must be built in from the beginning.

The role of patient organisations and cancer support communities was also identified as essential. These organisations can act as a bridge between technological innovation and the everyday reality of people affected by cancer. They understand the questions, barriers, fears and needs that are often not fully captured by formal care systems.

For Kapa3, this participation is directly linked to the development of Myrto, its digital health and rights navigator, designed as a tool for empowerment, guidance and support for cancer patients and their caregivers.

Myrto is not approached as a simple information tool. It is being designed as a participatory intervention built around the real needs of people with lived experience of cancer. It is connected to access to rights, social benefits, services, practical guidance and human escalation whenever needed.

The Coimbra experience strengthened the view that digital health must be human-centred, accessible, trustworthy and integrated into a broader ecosystem of care. Technology can meaningfully support cancer care only when it is designed with participation, trust, clear purpose and an equity-oriented approach.

Cancer survivorship is not only about completing treatment. It is about quality of life, mental health, social reintegration, work, family, everyday life, access to services and the feeling that no person is left alone after diagnosis or treatment.

Through its participation in European networks such as INE-CSC, Kapa3 continues to contribute to the dialogue on more equitable, participatory and person-centred cancer care. Care that uses technology without losing sight of the human being at its centre.

The future of cancer support will not depend only on better digital tools, but on better collaboration between patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, technology partners, patient organisations and policymakers.

For Kapa3, this is at the heart of its mission: transforming knowledge into action, technology into support, and the voice of patients into services that respond to their real needs.

More information: INE-CSC – Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care.More information:
https://inecancersurvivorship.com

World Health Day 2026: Together for Health, Guided by Science

Every year, on April 7th, the World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us through World Health Day that health is a fundamental human right. World Health Day 2026 highlights, through its central message “Together for health. Stand with science”, the importance of scientific knowledge, research, and collaboration as key pillars for a fairer and more effective health system.

In an era where information is more accessible than ever—but not always reliable—science remains the solid foundation on which modern healthcare is built. This is not merely theoretical knowledge but a dynamic system grounded in data, clinical studies, and continuous evaluation. Thanks to science, recent years have seen significant advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of serious illnesses such as cancer, improving both survival rates and patients’ quality of life.

However, this progress is not equally accessible to everyone. In Greece, health inequalities remain pronounced and multifactorial. A significant proportion of citizens report not receiving the necessary medical care due to cost, geographical limitations, or long waiting times, while nearly 1 in 10 households faces severe financial burden from healthcare expenses. Residents of remote areas often need to travel to major urban centers to access specialized services.

At the same time, innovative treatments already available in other European countries may take considerable time to reach Greek patients, limiting timely access to the benefits of scientific progress. This unequal access clearly demonstrates that science, however vital, is not enough on its own—it requires the right mechanisms to ensure its benefits reach everyone.

In this context, technology can serve as a bridge. Artificial intelligence (AI), when based on scientifically validated data, can play a key role in providing accurate and reliable information, reducing misinformation, and improving access to support. Kapa3’s digital assistant, Myrto, is one such example, bringing scientific knowledge closer to patients and supporting their daily needs, always in complement to healthcare professionals.

“Stand with science” therefore means not only trusting science but actively applying it in everyday life. It means seeking reliable information, using modern tools grounded in data, and advocating for equal access to innovations that can improve patients’ lives.

At Kapa3, this commitment is reflected through continuous updates on advances in oncology, new therapeutic approaches, innovative care practices, as well as through collaborations, participation in initiatives, and European programs such as MELODIC. (You can explore related articles here, here, and here.)

World Health Day 2026 offers a valuable opportunity to reflect not only on the achievements of science but also on the challenges that remain. By investing in knowledge, strengthening collaboration, and reducing inequalities, we can shape a health system that is more accessible, fair, and humane for all.

Health should not depend on where one lives, what one knows, or what one can afford. Science exists—the key is to make it reach everyone.
In this context, to “stand with science” ultimately means standing with every person in need of care.

Text/adaptation: Ifiyenia Anastasiou for Kapa3

 

Sources: