Objectives and lines of research
Objectives and lines of research
The Chronicity, Educational Innovation, and Technologies Applied to Health (CroniEduTec) research group has been developing a research strategy since 2021 aimed at integrating scientific and technological knowledge with educational innovation processes in health. Its work is structured around three complementary lines of research that address the main challenges facing health and social systems in our region:
- Chronicity, Healthy Aging, and Community Care: Since 2021, this line has become a leading example of applied research on clinical and social care models in community settings for people with chronic illnesses and those who are older. The group integrates a rigorous clinical perspective with community care and the analysis of social determinants, developing evidence-based interventions that optimize functionality, autonomy, quality of life, and health equity.
- Educational Innovation: This line experienced significant development between 2021 and 2025, establishing itself as a benchmark for innovation in teaching methodologies within clinical and social contexts. The group designs innovative educational interventions within undergraduate, postgraduate, and specialized training contexts, targeting students, healthcare professionals, and patients. With an evidence-based clinical approach and sensitivity to the social dimensions of health, the group develops teaching and learning models that improve patients’ acquisition of skills, knowledge, and self-management, integrating advanced educational tools based on new technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and clinical simulation.
- Therapeutic education and technologies applied to health: this line of research has become a benchmark in the use of new technologies applied to health, especially in the field of diabetes. Studies have been developed focusing on diabetes prediction through advanced analysis of continuous glucose monitoring data, as well as on the evaluation of technology-based therapies aimed at self-management of the disease, with the goal of facilitating their efficient integration into routine clinical practice. This strategic focus has enabled collaboration with other working groups, such as the Diabetes Technologies Group of the Spanish Diabetes Society, the IDIS-Resmet group, and the Diabetes Technology Units of the University Hospital Complex of Santiago de Compostela and the General Hospital of Ciudad Real. Additionally, the group collaborates on projects that integrate other biomedical technologies, such as advanced imaging techniques (PET, texture analysis), contributing to broadening the spectrum of technological applications in the healthcare sector.
Through these three strategic lines, the group generates a coordinated set of synergies between public and private institutions, resulting in competitive national and international research projects, scientific and technical collaboration agreements, publications in high-impact journals, and technology transfer processes in real-world healthcare and social services settings. Existing and future strategic collaborations allow for the consolidation of a research and innovation ecosystem that fosters scientific excellence, the training of new research talent, and the sustainable adoption and integration of evidence-based solutions in clinical, community, and social settings.
Research team
Publications
- Vicho-de-la-Fuente N, Martínez-Santos AE, Rodríguez-González R, Florez A, Sheaf G, Coyne I. Impact of atopic dermatitis on adolescents and families: A mixed-method systematic review. J Adv Nurs 2025;81(8):4360-4387. doi: 10.1111/jan.16652
- Gómez-Lado N, Rey-Bretal D, Piñeiro-Fiel M, Díaz-Platas L, Medín-Aguerre S, Fernández-Ferreiro A, Ruibal Á, Pubul V, Caicedo-Valdés D, Aguiar P. Longitudinal [18F]FMISO PET evaluation of hypoxic tissue in a rat model of hindlimb ischemia. Mol Pharm 2025;23(1):310-318. doi: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5c00994
- Chico A, Pazos-Couselo M, Nattero-Chavez L, Simó-Servat O, Durán-Martínez M, Ugarte-Abasolo E, Aguilera E, Andía V, Moreno-Fernández J, Granados M, Rebollo A, Fernandez-Rubio E, Quirós C, Alpañés M, Márquez R, Beato-Víbora P, Lado-Baleato Ó, Picón-César MJ. Beyond glycemic metrics: Real-world benefits of connected insulin pens in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2025;226:112377. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112377.
- Pazos-Couselo M, Lado-Baleato Ó, Izquierdo V, Moreno-Fernández J, Alonso-Sampedro M, Fernández-Merino C, Gude F. Diabetes risk assessment in adult population without diabetes employing continuous glucose monitoring: A novel approach. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2025;226:112286. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112286.
- Fernandez-Pombo A, Nogareda-Seoane Z, Cameselle-Teijeiro JM, Ecenarro-Montiel A, Vieira-Leite C, Rodriguez-Carnero G, Otero-Mato N, Pubul-Nuñez V, Pazos-Couselo M, Loidi L, Cabezas-Agricola JM. New insights into the clinical characterization of SDHAF2-related familial paraganglioma syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2025;110(11). doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaf149.
- Bugallo-Carrera C, Dosil-Díaz C, Pereiro AX, Anido-Rifón L, Gandoy-Crego M. Factors that indicate performance on the MoCA 7.3 in healthy adults over 50 years old. BMC Geriatr 2024;24:482. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-05102-1.
- Gerbaudo-González N, Rodríguez-González R, Facal-Mayo D, Gandoy-Crego M. Personalized interactive multimedia systems to support meaningful activities in dementia care: A systematic review. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2024;127:105575. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105575.
- Rey-Bretal D, García-Varela L, Gómez-Lado N, Moscoso A, Piñeiro-Fiel M, Díaz-Platas L, Medin S, Fernández-Ferreiro A, Ruibal Á, Sobrino T, Silva-Rodríguez J, Aguiar P. Quantitative brain [18F] FDG PET beyond normal blood glucose levels. Neuroimage 2024;3000:120873. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120873.
