Paris, France, 19 May 2025 - The RESIL-Card project, co-funded by the EU4Health Work Programme, has reached a significant milestone with the recent launch of the pilot testing of its resilience assessment tool in selected European countries. This phase is part of the three-year project - led by We CARE , in partnership with GISE , Amsterdam UMC , and CatSalut - which aims to improve the preparedness and continuity of cardiovascular care during crises.
As the first half of the project draws to a close, the first work package (WP1), which focused on conceptualising the resilience assessment tool , has been successfully completed. Now, WP2 is underway, involving the implementation of crucial pilot testing between February and November 2025. The primary aim is to assess the tool's effectiveness, usability, and relevance for healthcare professionals in real-world settings. “Our goal is to ensure that the RESIL-Card tool is intuitive and accessible for all stakeholders involved in cardiovascular care,” said William Wijns, who leads the consortium on behalf of We CARE.
The RESIL-Card tool was developed through a comprehensive and inclusive process . It included a literature review , a survey of European cardiovascular healthcare professionals, and multi-stakeholder focus groups involving patient representation. This thorough approach led to the creation of the first version of the tool, which was released in January 2025. It provides structured guidance for assessing and improving the resilience of cardiovascular care pathways, allowing users to identify and address key areas for improvement. This will contribute to developing patient-centred healthcare systems capable of sustaining lifesaving care during crises and reducing inequalities in access to care.
The pilot testing phase involves a diverse group of participants, including cardiovascular healthcare professionals, patients and policy experts, who will evaluate the tool's content, applicability and usability . Each participating hospital will form a resilience team to implement the tool, supported by step-by-step guidance and a feedback questionnaire. Non-acute care professionals will receive the feedback questionnaire to provide insights into the tool's relevance in broader healthcare contexts. The pilot testing will be followed by individual and collective interviews to review the exercise outcome and draw key conclusions and recommendations ahead of the dissemination phase of the RESIL-Card tool across Europe in 2026.
The RESIL-Card project will be featured during EuroPCR, the World-Leading Course in interventional cardiovascular medicine taking place at the Palais des Congrès in Paris on 20-23 May 2025. A dedicated session on 20 May (at 3:00pm, room 341) will discuss the importance of resilience in cardiovascular care, and an interview will feature key investigators discussing the project’s achievements and the pilot testing phase.
More details regarding We CARE and RESIL-Card will be found here: www.wecareabouthearts.com
Activities can be followed on social media using the hashtag: #WeCareAboutHearts
https://twitter.com/WeCareAboutHea1
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wecareabouthearts
Notes to editors
About We CARE
The We CARE initiative was inspired by the challenging global pandemic of Covid-19 and launched by PCR and Stent – Save a Life! in May 2021. Led by a network of international interventional cardiologists, nurses and allied professionals, its remit is to support all stakeholders in the cardiovascular field to sustainably deliver effective and timely patient care, whatever the circumstances.
For further information, please contact Sandrine Wallace (Project Manager): swallace@wecare-alliance.com