GREG Contributes to the Discussion on Translating Research into Long-Term Impact at the IHI Forum 2026
GREG was strongly represented at the IHI Forum 2026, held in Brussels on 20-21 October under the theme “Translating Research into Long-Term Impact”. The event brought together researchers, patients, industry representatives, regulators, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to discuss how collaborative research can deliver sustainable benefits for patients and healthcare systems.
Throughout the Forum, discussions highlighted the critical role of public-private partnerships, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and the generation of high-quality evidence to support the adoption of innovative healthcare solutions. These themes are closely aligned with GREG’s mission to strengthen the use of real-world evidence and improve evidence generation across the healthcare ecosystem to support better decision-making for regulators and HTA bodies.
A particular highlight was the workshop on patient co-creation in health research, where Maria Dutarte (EUPATI) and Annika Jödicke (University of Oxford) represented GREG as panelists. Drawing on their experience within the project, they emphasised the importance of meaningful patient involvement throughout the entire research lifecycle, from study design and implementation to dissemination and uptake of results. The discussion reinforced that patient engagement is not only essential for conducting relevant research but also for ensuring that project outcomes achieve lasting impact beyond the duration of the project itself.
GREG’s commitment to fostering the next generation of researchers was also on display during the Early Career Researcher Event. Congratulations to Annette Rudolph (Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam) and Mike Du (University of Oxford) for their excellent poster presentations showcasing some of GREG’s first research outputs.
Annette presented her ongoing systematic review examining existing guidelines and frameworks for feasibility assessments in real-world evidence studies, while Mike shared findings from his research using real-world data to estimate incidence and prevalence for orphan medical device designation. Their work demonstrates the breadth of research being conducted within GREG and highlights the project’s contribution to building future expertise in evidence generation.
If you want to learn more, explore Annette’s poster and Mike’s poster.
The active participation of GREG members across multiple sessions showcased the project’s growing role within the IHI community and its continued commitment to translating research into meaningful, long-term impact for patients, healthcare decision-makers, and society.
