Under the coordination of Olga De Cos, researcher from the Health Economics group at the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL), the European project Social Assets Mapping (SAM), part of the Interreg Sudoe network, will hold its Inaugural Technical-Healthcare Meeting next Tuesday, October 7, at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV). This is the first major event organized around the project, which aims to incorporate the social determinants of health into primary care through an intelligent digital twin.
What is SAM and why is it important?
The SAM project seeks to address a key challenge: improving health and social care in rural areas and in contexts with limited resources through the use of digital tools that integrate social data into clinical practice. Social prescribing—meaning the referral or recommendation of community activities, resources, or “health assets”—has gained increasing attention as a way of addressing health beyond conventional medicine.
In this regard, SAM will develop an intelligent digital twin: a virtual replica that integrates data on the social determinants of health, supporting decision-making and enabling more personalized and integrated interventions.
The project will also address how to define suitable indicators for these social determinants and how to map available social assets (spaces, initiatives, community resources) that can be applied in the practice of social prescribing.
Meeting Program
The event will be structured in two sessions: a morning session with public presentations, and an afternoon session with a working dynamic for SAM consortium members.
Morning Session (9:45 – 12:20, Gómez Durán Hall, Valdecilla Hospital)
Afternoon Session (SAM Consortium) (12:30 – 19:00, Cabárceno Nature Park)
The afternoon session, held in the natural surroundings of Cabárceno, aims to foster exchange and collaboration among the project’s partners, encourage synergies, and define the next methodological steps.
Voices of the Project
Expectations and Challenges
This Meeting is not only a formal event but also an essential starting point. It allows the consortium to define shared visions, identify methodological and operational challenges, align on pilot strategies, and build trust among teams. For the regional healthcare community, it also offers an opportunity to learn about advances in social and digital innovation applicable to primary care.
By leading SAM, IDIVAL reinforces its commitment to applied research, health innovation, and improving wellbeing in rural or resource-limited regions.
