CLUJ-NAPOCA, 11/10/2025 — A diverse group of professionals, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers from Slovenia, France, Australia, Finland, and Romania came together for the THCS WP5 partners’ meeting, held in Cluj-Napoca on 7 and 8 October 2025. They were united by a shared commitment: strengthening evidence-informed decision making in health and care.
Building on previous online and in-person exchanges, the forum moved forward the ongoing work on the toolbox and the MasterClass, while also deepening collaboration across countries and professions. Primary care remained a central theme, drawing on insights from earlier workshops in Naples, Bucharest, and Paris.
Over two days, participants reflected on recent WP5 progress and the challenges ahead. Through individual and group work, they focused on how evidence produced through joint efforts can be translated into real improvements for policy and practice.
The opening session set the tone by exploring how evidence can successfully inform health and care decisions. Experts from the French Ministry of Health, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă” in Cluj-Napoca, and Babeș-Bolyai University shared their perspectives. They highlighted both the challenges of different national contexts and the common goal of strengthening decision making through reliable research. This session created a shared starting point that guided the collaborative work that followed.
The next session focused on the WP5 toolbox, a key part of the project’s joint work. Participants reviewed recent developments and contributed to activities aimed at validating the toolbox’s overall framework. Using guiding questions, they assessed its coherence, usability, and relevance to real policy and decision making needs.
In the afternoon, attention shifted to the upcoming 2026 MasterClass on primary care. This initiative aims to strengthen policymakers’ capacity to integrate evidence more systematically into their work. Through open dialogue and co-design, participants clarified what the MasterClass should offer and how it can be designed to achieve long-term impact.
The TransCare project—New care pathways for enabling TRANSitional CARE from hospitals to homes utilizing AI and personalized digital assistance—was a key part of the first day. Presentations covered its technological advances, ecosystems and policy implications, and planned trials. They showed how research projects can generate knowledge while also helping shape real care pathways.
The first day ended with a guided visit to Babeș-Bolyai University, giving participants the opportunity to explore the institution’s academic and cultural heritage. The visit echoed the forum’s wider theme: how institutions, history, and communities can shape and inspire scientific and policy progress.
On the second day, the focus shifted towards practical, real-world examples of connecting research with policy and advocacy. Presentations of public health initiatives carried out in partnership with non-governmental organizations introduced participants to various possibilities of cooperation. These examples showed how academic research contributes to generating evidence, policy making and advocacy.
A follow-up session offered a frontline perspective on improving health systems, with a focus on vaccination. Discussions addressed both opportunities and challenges faced by healthcare professionals, especially in underserved or rural areas. Participants shared country examples and underlined the critical role of primary care in improving population health.
The forum closed with a short wrap-up session that brought together key points from both days. It reaffirmed WP5’s commitment to developing tools and approaches that support health and care system transformation.
Looking ahead, WP5 will build on the progress achieved in 2025, welcoming new partners and professionals eager to contribute to upcoming initiatives, including the toolbox and the MasterClass.