The Metropolitan South Research Support Unit (USR) comprises ten research groups covering a wide range of topics, including musculoskeletal disorders, chronic wounds, cardiovascular and kidney disease, vaccines and paediatric infections, cancer, health economics, education, food and childhood, vertigo, and health in prisons. This makes it the IDIAPJGol USR with the highest number of accredited research groups.

The USR coordinator, Betlem Salvador, highlights this thematic diversity as one of the territory’s main strengths. “We have very innovative clinical programmes here, which form the basis of many research groups and make us unique,” she says. She points to innovative initiatives such as INFADIMED, which promotes the Mediterranean diet among children; GReFeC (Research Group on Chronic and Complex Wounds), which is evaluating the results of implementing a new model of care for this type of wound; and VERTAP (Research Group on the Management of Vertigo in Primary Care), which focuses on improving the diagnosis and treatment of vertigo. Salvador also mentions the Research Group on Education in Primary Care (GREDOCAP) and the recently established Research Group on Health in Prisons (GRESP), which “address topics that have received little attention in our environment”.

The head of the Unit also discusses the reorganisation carried out by the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) in primary care in this area, which has seen the former single directorate (Metropolitan South) replaced by three management areas: Delta, Baix Llobregat and Penedès. “The USR remains a cross-cutting structure across the territory, which gives it greater potential, while the new organisation gives us an opportunity to strengthen our local presence, a challenge in a territory as diverse and complex as ours,” she says.

Diverse profiles

Almost 1.5 million people live in the counties of Baix Llobregat, Alt Penedès and Garraf, as well as the city of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, which make up the Metropolitan South area. The area includes both urban and rural settings and is home to highly diverse sociodemographic profiles, with very different health needs, which in turn influence the research carried out there.

Dr Salvador highlights the strong interest among professionals working in the Metropolitan South area in conducting research, although this interest is often hampered by “the heavy clinical workload they face”. Nevertheless, the USR coordinator is optimistic, highlighting the growing number of young people joining research groups and the arrival of new professional profiles, such as physiotherapists.

Highlighted initiatives

Salvador highlights several research projects coordinated or involving the Metropolitan South USR:

• ESVIDA This is a clinical trial aimed at improving adherence to healthy lifestyle habits and preventing obesity and overweight among adults. The intervention combines a mobile app and a gamified video featuring challenges, recommendations and personalised educational content designed to promote changes in diet, physical activity, sleep and emotional wellbeing. Participants will be followed for 12 months through primary care teams. The project is part of the European JACARDI initiative, also funded by the EU4Health programme, which focuses on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• Hope4Kids. This is a European initiative aimed at improving palliative care for children with cancer. The Hope4Kids consortium comprises 70 organisations from 23 countries. It is coordinated by the Princess Máxima Center in Amsterdam and funded by the European EU4Health programme. Until 2029, the project will analyse inequalities and gaps in paediatric palliative care across Europe. Its outcomes will include clinical practice guidelines, training programmes, digital tools and individualised care plans to help move towards a more equitable, accessible and comprehensive model of paediatric palliative care. IDIAPJGol, represented by the Metropolitan South and Metropolitan North USRs, is the consortium’s only primary care organisation.
• Cuidal’HFutur. A cohort study coordinated by the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and IDIAPJGol. It aims to provide a snapshot of the health status of the population of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, with a particular focus on social and cultural diversity, as well as health values and perceptions, especially in areas related to cancer, cardiovascular health and obesity. One of the project’s key features is its commitment to involving the community at every stage, from study design and the selection of participants to the dissemination of results.

  The study is expected to follow 5,000 people for ten years, with an initial assessment followed by further assessments at five and ten years, using questionnaires, measurements and biological sample collection. Before this, a qualitative study will be conducted through interviews, focus groups and a pilot study, involving around 250 people. Betlem Salvador highlights that “the distinguishing feature of this study is the incorporation of cultural diversity, together with other social determinants that we know have a very important impact on health. This will help us improve strategies for disease prevention, behaviour change and treatment, which are currently based on studies involving populations from Western cultures.”