digital health Archives

Kapa3 in Brussels: Building European Partnerships for More Human-Centred Cancer Care

Participation in the Cluster 1 Health & Mission Cancer Brokerage Event highlighted the importance of digital innovation, meaningful patient engagement and cross-border collaboration in European health research.

28 September 2026 | Brussels, Belgium

Kapa3 – Cancer Guidance Centre participated in the European “Building Strong Networks in Cluster 1 Health & Mission Cancer” Brokerage Event, held in Brussels on 28 September 2026, focusing on the development of partnerships for the upcoming Horizon Europe 2027 calls, particularly Cluster 1 – Health and the EU Cancer Mission.

Kapa3 was represented by Aristea Archontidou, an associate of the organisation specialising in healthcare information technology, health policy and patient advocacy, as part of the participation of the Hellenic Digital Health Cluster (HDHC).

The event brought together researchers, universities, healthcare organisations, technology companies, innovation stakeholders, patient representatives and policymakers, providing opportunities to establish European research connections and explore future collaborations.

For Kapa3, participation reflects an ongoing commitment to connecting the real needs of people affected by cancer with European developments in research, digital health and more accessible models of care.

From European Research to Meaningful Partnerships

The event provided a valuable platform for exchanging knowledge, presenting research ideas and identifying potential partners for future European projects.

The programme included presentations on Horizon Europe 2027 priorities, thematic pitching sessions and targeted bilateral networking meetings.

Three main areas were addressed:

Healthcare Innovation: New approaches to research, prevention, diagnosis and healthcare delivery.
Clinical Trials: Research collaboration, clinical studies and the development of innovative therapeutic approaches.
Digital Health & Artificial Intelligence: Digital technologies, data-driven solutions and applications of AI in healthcare.

The discussions highlighted the increasing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the participation of organisations that understand patients’ needs in real-world settings.

Research, digital innovation and social innovation should not be treated as separate processes. Their impact depends on their ability to address unmet needs, operate effectively in real-life environments and demonstrate meaningful value.

Digital Health and AI: Technology Must Serve People

One of the most important observations emerging from the event was that digital health and Artificial Intelligence are no longer isolated technical topics.

They are increasingly integrated into multiple areas of healthcare research, from scientific data analysis and clinical research support to prevention, information access and the management of complex care needs.

However, technological progress does not automatically translate into social progress.

A digital solution cannot be considered truly successful if the people it is intended to serve cannot understand, trust or use it.

At Kapa3, addressing digital exclusion, strengthening health and digital literacy, improving accessibility and ensuring the responsible use of AI are fundamental priorities.

This approach is reflected in the development of MYRTO – Kapa3’s AI-Supported Digital Social Navigator, designed to facilitate access to evidence-informed, understandable information about social rights, benefits and available support services.

MYRTO is being developed in technological collaboration with SimasiaAI, with the valuable support of the TIMA Charitable Foundation.

The initiative demonstrates how technological innovation can be connected with social navigation and the practical needs of people living with cancer.

Meaningful Patient Engagement as a Foundation for Innovation

Another central message emerging from the discussions and networking activities was the growing importance of meaningful patient involvement in research and digital health development.

Patient organisations can contribute far more than final-stage evaluation or symbolic representation.

They can help identify unmet needs, co-develop research questions, improve the accessibility of digital tools and evaluate solutions in real-world settings.

Patient involvement in real-world pilots, co-creation processes and user-experience evaluation can contribute to more relevant, acceptable and sustainable healthcare innovations.

This approach is closely aligned with Kapa3’s mission.

Experience gained through everyday patient navigation, the identification of administrative and social barriers and the systematic documentation of support needs can provide valuable insights for the development and evaluation of new interventions.

European Networking and Opportunities for Collaboration

Kapa3’s participation in Brussels, through the Hellenic Digital Health Cluster ecosystem, provided opportunities to engage with professionals and organisations active in research, digital health and social innovation.

The event facilitated valuable exchanges with several stakeholders, including George Dimitriou, Cluster Manager of HDHC, alongside George Nikolaidis and Martha Zachariadou from Ergobyte Informatics S.A.

Additional discussions and connections involved Sotiria Tsalamani from KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre, Nikolaos Papadopoulos from heeelp!, Angie Fasoula from MIMA Technologies and Ilias Nikolinakos from ELPEN Pharmaceutical Co. Inc.

These initial contacts offer opportunities to explore shared interests and potential future collaborations in digital accessibility, human-centred technology, patient engagement and applied health research.

Special appreciation goes to the PRAXI Network for supporting Greek participation, as well as to the National Contact Points and co-organisers whose efforts created a valuable environment for European networking and collaboration.

Kapa3 as a Partner in Human-Centred Research and Innovation

Kapa3’s presence at this European event strengthens its strategic direction towards partnerships that combine scientific knowledge with lived experience and community-based insights.

Through social and patient navigation, cooperation with healthcare professionals, participation in European research projects and the development of digital tools, the organisation seeks to contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions that respond to the actual needs of patients and caregivers.

In future European collaborations, Kapa3 can bring expertise in patient and social navigation, patient engagement, health literacy, service co-creation and the evaluation of end-user experiences.

This approach contributes to the organisation’s broader ambition to develop an evidence-informed, human-centred and evaluable model of navigation in oncology care.

From European Connections to Meaningful Social Impact

The Brussels experience reinforced the importance of engaging early in European research networks and building partnerships that connect science, technology and people’s everyday realities.

As consortia and proposals begin to take shape for Horizon Europe 2027, the involvement of civil society organisations and patient representatives remains essential for more inclusive research and innovation.

For Kapa3, European collaboration creates value when it leads to better information, equitable access, stronger support systems and tangible improvements in the lives of people affected by cancer.

Because innovation in healthcare should not be measured solely by what technology can achieve, but also by how many people it can meaningfully include.

Care does not end with treatment. It embraces the whole of life.

Further Information

Cluster Health & Mission Cancer Brokerage Event
https://www.b2match.com/e/cluster-health-mission-cancer-brokerage

Hellenic Digital Health Cluster
https://hdhc.gr/

Kapa3 – Cancer Guidance Centre
https://www.kapa3.gr/

Explore MYRTO – Digital Social Navigator
https://kapa3-cag-rag-hybrid-deploy.onrender.com/

MYRTO evolves: from information to meaningful navigation

The new version of MYRTO, Kapa3’s digital assistant for people affected by cancer and their caregivers, is now live.

This update is more than a technical upgrade. It represents another step towards a different model of digital support: moving from simply providing information to supporting understanding, guidance and navigation.

For people facing cancer, the challenge is not always a lack of information. Very often, the real difficulty is understanding which information applies to them and what they need to do next.

From information to the next step

The cancer journey involves much more than diagnosis and treatment. Patients and families may also need to navigate social rights and benefits, disability assessment, transportation, employment issues, psychosocial support and communication with multiple health and public services.

Information may be available, but it is often fragmented, complex or difficult to turn into action.

This is where navigation becomes essential.

It means supporting people to access, understand, evaluate and use the information they need.

MYRTO was developed with this principle in mind: transforming complex and fragmented information into guidance that is easier to understand and act upon.

What is new in MYRTO

The renewed version offers a more direct and accessible user experience.

Users can interact by text or voice, listen to responses, choose between Greek and English, and adjust text size. Suggested topics also help people who may not know how to begin or how to formulate their question.

Particular attention is given to the sources behind the information. MYRTO follows a source-grounded and human-supervised AI approach: Artificial Intelligence supports the retrieval and organisation of information, while reliability, transparency and human oversight remain central to its design.

Technology does not replace people

MYRTO is not a doctor and does not provide personalised medical advice. It does not replace social workers, psychologists, nurses or other healthcare professionals.

Its role is to reduce complexity, support orientation and help people move closer to the appropriate information, service or human support.

The same approach applies to caregivers, who often become care coordinators, information managers and navigators of rights and services. MYRTO is also designed with their needs in mind, recognising caregivers as an essential part of the cancer journey.

Accessibility, trust and data protection

At Kapa3, we believe that digital innovation is meaningful only when it remains accessible and inclusive.

For this reason, the renewed MYRTO places emphasis on plain language, voice interaction and features that can support people with different levels of digital and health literacy.

Users are also informed about the processing of their data and the use of Artificial Intelligence, with separate consent choices and the possibility to request data deletion.

Trust in a digital health tool is not only about the answers it provides. It is also about how it works, which sources it relies on and how it respects the people who use it.

“What do I need to do next?”

Perhaps this single question best captures the philosophy behind MYRTO:

“What do I need to do next?”

A person facing cancer should not have to know in advance which organisation is responsible, where the right information is located or which administrative process needs to be followed.

They should be able to express their need and receive guidance that is reliable, understandable, accessible and human-supported.

This is the direction of the renewed MYRTO.

From information to understanding.
From understanding to navigation.
And from navigation to the next step.

Find more :

https://kapa3-cag-rag-hybrid-deploy.onrender.com

Kapa3 at HDHC: Bringing the Patient Perspective to Digital Health

Networking, knowledge exchange and new opportunities for collaboration

The monthly meeting of the Hellenic Digital Health Cluster (HDHC) provided another valuable opportunity for networking, knowledge exchange and the exploration of new collaborations within the rapidly evolving digital health ecosystem.

During the meeting, representatives of three new members — Kapa3 – Cancer Guidance Center, Reformer Business Optimization, and ERGOBYTE — introduced their work, expertise and capabilities to the wider HDHC community.

Kapa3: From real patient needs to the design of solutions

Kapa3 was represented by Aristea Archontidou, who presented the organisation’s work and the experience gained through its daily support of people affected by cancer and their caregivers.

A central focus of the presentation was one of the most significant challenges people face following a cancer diagnosis: fragmented information.

Alongside their treatment journey, patients and their families are often required to navigate a complex range of social, insurance, employment and administrative issues. Finding the right information across multiple systems and public sources can become an additional burden during an already demanding period.

This challenge is particularly important for people diagnosed with cancer while still of working age. Support therefore extends beyond treatment itself and includes helping people understand and exercise their rights, maintain their social and professional lives, and access the services and benefits available to them.

The numbers reflect a real need

Kapa3’s daily experience demonstrates the scale and diversity of these needs.

Between January and July 2026, Kapa3:

handled 1,251 telephone contacts,

sent 497 emails to beneficiaries,

managed 306 requests from 241 individuals,

covering 52 different categories of need, including disability certification, social benefits and employment rights.

Behind every number is a person seeking timely, understandable and reliable guidance.

These data reinforce the need for services and tools that do not simply provide more information, but help people find, understand and use the information that is relevant to their individual situation.

MYRTO AI: Technology supporting social navigation

A key part of the presentation was dedicated to MYRTO AI, the digital Social Rights Navigator being developed by Kapa3 for people affected by cancer and their caregivers.

MYRTO is designed to provide access to information and guidance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in Greek and English, while also supporting voice interaction.

Developed with the support of the TIMA Charitable Foundation, MYRTO builds on Kapa3’s field experience and on the real questions and needs identified through the organisation’s direct work with patients and caregivers.

Its purpose is not to replace human support. Instead, technology is being developed as an additional tool for timely, reliable and more accessible navigation, helping people understand available options and identify the appropriate pathways for further support.

From field experience to digital innovation

This is where Kapa3’s participation in HDHC becomes particularly relevant.

Digital health is not only about developing new technologies. It is also about ensuring that these technologies respond to the real needs of the people who are expected to use them.

Through its daily interaction with patients and caregivers, Kapa3 can bring the end-user perspective into the digital health ecosystem and contribute to assessing the usability, accessibility, comprehensibility and real-world value of emerging digital tools.

In this way, experience from the field can become an integral part of the innovation and design process.

European engagement and new synergies

The presentation also highlighted Kapa3’s growing European activity through its participation in projects and initiatives such as e.Health4Cancer, MELODIC, MOVE-ON and PERIFORMANCE, alongside its continued efforts to develop new partnerships through European programmes and networks.

Participation in HDHC creates another meeting point between civil society, research, technology and entrepreneurship, opening new possibilities for collaboration focused on digital health and people-centred innovation.

HDHC: Building bridges for digital health collaboration

The monthly meeting once again demonstrated the value of connecting organisations, research bodies and companies that bring different areas of expertise to a shared digital health ecosystem.

For Kapa3, participation in such a network is not only an opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange. It also provides a platform for advancing a principle that lies at the heart of our work:

digital innovation creates real value when it starts with people’s needs and returns to them in the form of meaningful, accessible and trustworthy support.

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