Today marked the second day of the international study trip for the Executive Health Management students from our member TIAS School for Business and Society.
We had the privilege of visiting Hospital de Santo António dos Capuchos, a public hospital, for a highly insightful session focused on the ATENTO programme and innovation in healthcare.
The agenda included an overview of the programme and its current challenges, followed by discussions on innovation within the hospital and the results achieved through the use of digital health solutions. A highlight of the visit was the tour of the Remote Unit, where participants could see firsthand how these innovations are being implemented in practice.
This visit provided a valuable perspective on how public healthcare institutions in Portugal are embracing transformation, leveraging digital tools, and addressing real-world challenges to improve patient care and system efficiency.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the entire team at Hospital de Santo António dos Capuchos for their warm welcome, openness, and for sharing their knowledge and experience with us.
Background information:
ULS São José is one of Portugal’s largest and most comprehensive public healthcare organisations, with:
• 9 hospitals
• 33 primary care units
• 430,624 people in its direct area of influence
• a referral role covering around 1.8 million people at regional and national level
• a highly complex care model, affiliated with NOVA Medical SchoolDespite the scale, complexity, and diversity of its institutions — and a legacy spanning more than 500 years — ULS São José has been able to implement one of the most innovative and interesting telehealth centre models in Portugal: ATENTO.
In 2025, the centre:
• monitored 1,353 patients
• across 9 programmes
• with a strong focus on chronic conditions
• with 55% of patients living outside the city of Lisbon
• including one patient living in Valpaços, around 460 km away
• processed an average of 90,531 measurements per month
• generated 503 clinical cases through the consolidation of multiple alerts
• saw around 90% of cases concluded by the nursing team, with 10% requiring medical team attentionThis is a powerful example of how telehealth is not just about distance. It is about better integration between hospital and community, more continuous follow-up, and a smarter use of clinical teams.
For 2026, the plan is to expand the centre to additional medical conditions and further increase the number of patients supported. A remarkable visit, and a strong example of innovation in public healthcare.
A special thank you to ULS São José, Ana Isabel Santos, Neuza Reis, Paulo Feio and Diana Targino and team for the amazing session organized for the students.