Why Humanized Solutions?
Our journey began with Vanessa Ferreira, co-founder of Humanized Solutions, whose personal experiences with her family’s rare disease shaped her vision. With over a decade of experience as Head of Patient Advocacy in the pharmaceutical industry, Vanessa founded the Portuguese Association for CDG (APCDG) in 2010, co-founded in 2016 the community-centric international research network CDG and Allies, and helped establish the World CDG Organization (WCDGO) in 2020. Her extensive work with prestigious platforms and over 30 publications underscore her unwavering dedication to patient advocacy and community-focused research (View Publications on ResearchGate).
Vanessa’s passion for connecting patients and the public with innovative research and medical solutions led to the creation of Humanized Solutions, co-founded with José Graça, an accomplished electronics and telecommunications engineer. José’s technical expertise complements Vanessa’s patient-centered approach, ensuring that our projects are both technologically advanced and deeply human-focused.
Our Unique Value
By partnering with Humanized Solutions, you gain access to innovative Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) methodologies that enhance the relevance and impact of your research and healthcare initiatives. Our services help you navigate complex regulations, communicate effectively with patients, design inclusive clinical trials, and build lasting trust with the communities you serve.
Together, Vanessa, José and their enthusiastic team bring a unique blend of skills and dedication to transforming healthcare through SSH methodologies. Our combined expertise ensures that your research and development efforts are not only high-tech but also high-touch, aligning perfectly with the needs and narratives of the public and patients.
Our story
At Humanized Solutions, a Small Medium Enterprise (SME), we specialize in leveraging Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) methods to lead impactful Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) activities. Whether part of a collaborative research consortium or providing bespoke services, our expertise ensures meaningful stakeholder engagement.
2024
- Research projects and services in spotlight: We have led several services and research, including the following examples,
- Set up the strategy for and supported the implementation of the virtual APBD and GSD IV online Focus Group meeting;
- Assist in the co-creation workshop from the European project MammoScreen;
- Collaborated on a white paper and survey about the European Health Data Space in Portugal with EIT Health InnoStars and LabToMarket;
- Co-creation of a website with Principal Investigator, team members and target audience including patient groups and citizens.
- By August, we had participated in 12 projects research proposals for various European initiatives (e.g. Horizon Europe, Pillar I, II and III).
- Vanessa’s latest research provides groundbreaking insights into resilience within the CDG community through her study “Resilience in Patients and Family Caregivers Living with Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG): A Quantitative Study Using the Brief Resilience Coping Scale (BRCS).“
- Teaching and training: Vanessa Ferreira became a adjunt-professor in the Health Sciences area at Universidad Europea de Madrid, including Clinical Biotechnology Master’s Program.
- Speaking and engaging in multiple platforms: Vanessa Ferreira and other team members actively participated in prestigious events, including,
- Presenting at “meet@colab” an initiative led by Value for Health Collab;
- Keynote speaking at “Rare Disease Day: How old is too old not to be treated?” in Estonia;
- Delivering a masterclass titled “Enhancing Digital Health Innovation: Practical Strategies for Engaging Patients and Citizens” at Tallinn University of Technology; featuring in the Talks@KAT series at North Estonia Medical Centre;
- Presenting on Patient Centricity at Peak Spirit Academy;
- Co-authoring a poster on “Reference Centers for Rare Diseases in Portugal” at ECRD 2024, and a poster on “Patient and Public Involvement” at the Mammoscreen workshop at Champalimaud Foundation.
- Giving voice as Patient Advocate within different platforms:
- Vanessa Ferreira has been appointed as a Rare Disease Advisory Board
Member by the Center for Innovation and Value Research.
- Vanessa Ferreira has been appointed as a Rare Disease Advisory Board
- Attendance to key events and networking: Vanessa Ferreira attended the EIT Health Summit in Rotterdam and the HTAi Annual Meeting 2024 in Sevilla.
- Strategic partnerships: Humanized Solutions became a official partner SHIFT-HUB and network partner with
Health Cluster Portugal (HCP) and EIT Health. - Academic research collaborations: Humanized Solutions established internships in collaboration with Universidad Europea de Madrid.
2023
- Research projects and services in spotlight:
- Conducted a World Café “2.º Encontro Anual do Conselho Científico” with RD Portugal;
- Began supporting PPIE activities under the European Commission’s MammoScreen project;
- By the end of the year Humanized Solutions had participated in 12 projects proposals for various European initiatives (e.g. Horizon Europe; Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values; and others).
- Teaching and training:
- Delivered a masterclass at the University of Coimbra to educate Ph.D. students from various fields about ‘Involving Patients in Clinical Trials’. Also, a workshop and a world café were delivered with the Master’s in Biomedical Research (MIB) students at Instituto de Investigação Clínica e Biomédica de Coimbra (iCBR) to educate about PPIE;
- Conducted a training masterclass on medical writing organized in partnership with AERTeM “How medical writers can collaborate with patients, families, and the general public helping them to get involved in drug development”;
- Vanessa Ferreira was selected for EIT Health’s Top Female Founders Summer School;
- Several members from the team completed the EUPATI Patient Expert Training Programme.
- Speaking and engaging in multiple platforms:
- Participated in The Health Design Podcast organized by Moyez Jiwa;
- Gave a virtual talk at the 7th Latin American Glycobiology Congress, organized by Centro de Investigácion en Dinámica Celular.
- Moderated a Panel at the “II Encontro Conversas sobre Autismo”, organized by Ginásio de Competências;
- Participated at the 2nd National Meeting of Clinical Research & Biomedical Innovation organized by AICIB;
- And spoke at the Global Health Forum.
- Giving voice as Patient Advocate within different platforms:
- The MetabERN Annual Board Meeting;
- The Mental Health & Wellbeing Partnership Network from EURORDIS;
- The IRDiRC Task Force and HTAi’s Patient and Citizen Involvement Interest Group, Project 5 Rare Disease Interest Group (RDIG).
- Strategic partnerships: HS initiated partnerships with ColabTrials and NCBio ERA CHAIR – I3S.
- Coaching and mentoring: Vanessa Ferreira launched a Coaching Program for “Health Empowerment & Wellbeing: A Coaching Program to Elevate Patient and Citizen Involvement in Healthcare“.
2022
- We achieved our first major milestone by securing a service contract with a multinational pharmaceutical company. This initial project involved identification of patient groups and conduction mapping and due diligence of patient groups across various therapeutic indications, establishing patient partnerships and supporting the execution of different activities such as brainstorm sessions, online focus groups and community advisory boards.
- Humanized Solutions was established in March.
Humanized Solutions addresses the pressing challenge of ensuring that medical and digital advancements resonate deeply with genuine patient and citizen needs. In a world teeming with innovations, there's a gap between drug, digital and MedTech development and true human experience. We bridge this, making healthcare solutions not just advanced, but also deeply empathetic and relevant. Clients choose us because we transform healthcare from being merely 'efficient' to being profoundly 'effective', ensuring every solution is tailored, resonant, and truly human-centric. We're not just shaping the future of healthcare; we're humanizing it.
Our DNA
to systematically involve patients and citizens, co-creating solutions that resonate deeply with the community and ensure that innovations truly meet the needs of end users.
Our mission is closely aligned with 7 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
By ensuring that our solutions are inclusive and accessible, we support the ethos of leaving no one behind, which is at the heart of the SDGs. Additionally, by adopting environmentally sustainable practices, we can contribute to climate action and responsible consumption and production.
At Humanized Solutions, we envision a healthcare future that is profoundly human-centered and impactful. Our mission is to align every solution with real-world needs, experiences, and aspirations, ensuring that innovations in healthcare truly resonate with those they are designed to serve.
Curiosity and Discovery
We are driven by curiosity and the joy of discovery, continuously seeking to expand our knowledge and innovate within our industry.
Trust and Loyalty
We prioritize trust and loyalty, building transparent and reliable relationships that foster long-term partnerships and success.
Respect and Tolerance
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that all perspectives are respected and valued, enhancing our collaborative efforts.
Commitment and Growth
We are committed to excellence and growth, embracing challenges that stimulate personal and professional development.
Courage and Flexibility
With courage and flexibility, we adeptly navigate uncertainties, transforming challenges into opportunities for innovation.
Patient and Citizen-Centricity
We prioritize the needs, interests, and perspectives of patients and citizens, ensuring that our solutions are tailored to truly benefit our end-user.