At ICIC25, IFIC partnered with Roche Diagnostics International to host a thought-provoking symposium exploring how diagnostics can do more than detect disease, and how they can shape better systems. With a focus on diabetes and its comorbidities, the panel offered clear, practical pathways toward building person-centred, data-enabled care.
Highlights from the session:
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We need dynamic, not static, care models
Professor Nick Guldemond reminded us that diabetes care must continuously adapt, not just to changing clinical data but to shifting life circumstances, socioeconomic factors, and emotional wellbeing. - Diagnostics are the gateway to personalised care
Oswaldo Rodriguez highlighted how diagnostics are evolving from single-point tests to continuous feedback systems powered by AI and patient data. -
Policy alignment is crucial
Dr. Sabine Dupont walked us through major shifts in global and European diabetes policy, showing how declarations, digital strategies, and cross-sector partnerships are starting to move the needle.
What needs to happen next?
- Scale local models like Portugal’s Coimbra initiative.
- Invest in primary care, digital literacy, and infrastructure.
- Build co-creation into every layer of system design—from technology to policy to practice.
Takeaway:
Integrated care isn’t a theoretical ideal. It’s already happening, in pockets. The task now is to scale what works, share learning across borders, and ensure that diagnostics become a bridge, not a bottleneck, to better health.