As part of the HORUS project, the MEDRI research team has made significant strides in gathering valuable input from both residents and professionals in Rijeka, Croatia. In November 2024, focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted, marking an important phase in the project’s efforts to improve urban health.
The first step involved organizing and moderating a series of focus groups with local residents and professionals in Rijeka. These groups were held across several locations, including local boards, schools, and pensioner’s clubs. A total of five focus groups were conducted in November 2024, three of them involved residents – vulnerable groups and NCD-affected participants selected in specific neighborhoods, and the other two were professionals. Moderation for these sessions was handled by various members of the MEDRI team, including Tomislav Rukavina, Zlatko Trobonjača, Mihaela Marinović Glavić, Vanja Vasiljev, Lovorka Bilajac, Denis Juraga, Sven Maričić, and Darko Roviš.
Alongside the focus groups, the team also carried out 21 in-depth interviews in November 2024, which involved the stakeholders.
The data collected from both the focus groups and interviews will play an essential role in shaping the strategic direction of the project and supporting the development of health interventions tailored to the needs of the community. The final results from the Rijeka pilot phase are expected to be reported to the project coordinator, BAX, by the end of December 2024.
For more details, take a look at the photo gallery attached