Collaboration: Greece’s REBECCA Team Meets Norway Team for Project Advancements

November was a highly productive month for REBECCA, marked by a crucial meeting and the complete integration of the system, now fully supporting companion data collection. You can find out more in the following article about REBECCA’s activities and achievements.

A pivotal technical meeting took place from November 6th to 9th, 2023, at Stavanger University Hospital (SUH) in Norway. This meeting was a crucial step forward for the REBECCA project, focusing on refining real-world data collection. Bringing together teams from SUH and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), the session involved 23 participants, including patients and healthy controls.

At the heart of the meeting lay a focused effort to tackle existing data collection issues in the REBECCA patient app that were presented by Alexandros Papadopoulos from AUTH. He gave an overview detailing the identified issues and also unveiled upcoming features scheduled for the next app release. Prompt resolutions were achieved for several technical glitches, yet the primary emphasis rested on a comprehensive examination of these challenges. This meeting served as a decisive data-gathering juncture, laying the groundwork for refining the reliability of data collection within the REBECCA system.

The AUTH team followed these discussions revolving around the obstacles in data collection and outlined a roadmap to improve and fix the problems in the next REBECCA App release. Moreover, the session went beyond troubleshooting and engaged face-to-face with the participants to get direct feedback on the practical utilisation of the REBECCA app in their day-to-day lives.

This active conversation highlighted the project’s dedication to enhancing user experiences. It not only deepened collaboration with patients but also provided crucial insights into their preferences and experiences.  The positive outcome of this meeting establishes a model for future sessions dedicated to making ongoing improvements. It emphasises the project’s strong commitment to enhancing the REBECCA system alongside its users.

Apart from the discussion about the data collection obstacles in the REBECCA app, the big news is that the REBECCA system is now fully supporting the companion data collection. INTRA has added dashboard features and updated companion capabilities that are now smoothly integrated into the REBECCA app that can be accessed through the AppStore.

As REBECCA continues its journey of evolution, the focus remains unwavering: fostering a user-centric approach and relentless improvement. This meeting was not just a moment in time but a catalyst for ongoing enhancements, marking a turning point in the project’s mission to empower patients and companions in their cancer survivor journey.