Hospital da Luz - Learning Health

The Hospital da Luz Learning Health is the training, research, innovation, and medical simulation center of the Luz Saúde group, playing a central role in the development of knowledge and the continuous improvement of healthcare.

In the field of clinical research, our mission involves:

• Developing, promoting, and supporting research projects across the various units within the Hospital da Luz network;
• Encouraging new methodologies that add value and quality to the care provided to our clients.

Our team consists of 15 specialized professionals, including clinical trial coordinators, project managers, contract managers, and research grant managers — ensuring the technical and scientific support necessary for the development of robust and relevant projects.

To facilitate and accelerate these processes, we have developed two essential digital tools:

• A 100% online platform for internal submission of clinical trials and studies;
• An electronic remote monitoring tool, providing secure, read-only access to the clinical records of study participants, exclusively for authorized monitors.

Since 2019, Luz Saúde has been promoting internal calls for funding investigator-initiated projects, demonstrating a clear strategic investment in clinical research. In 2024, we launched this challenge once again and received multiple applications, which were evaluated by a panel composed of 6 internal reviewers and 13 invited experts. The awarded projects stood out for their scientific rigor and their potential impact on improving healthcare. This grant program aims to strengthen promotion, structuring, and professionalization, underscoring the Group's commitment to advancing research and innovation, with the goal of contributing to the continuous improvement of the care provided.

The Hospital da Luz Learning Health is part of the Católica Luz Academic Clinical Center (CAC). This is the first academic clinical center in Portugal exclusively involving private and social sector institutions. It recognizes the role that the Portuguese private healthcare sector plays in advancing clinical research and innovation, combined with excellence in clinical practice, aiming to achieve the best health outcomes.

The CAC Católica Luz aims to bring together education, research, and healthcare in a collaborative context that seeks to create a shared institutional culture, focusing on scientific and clinical quality in an international setting. It facilitates and promotes communication and collaboration, optimizes the use of human and infrastructural resources, and generates collective cross-sectional projects contributing to the ongoing improvement of healthcare services.

We remain committed to supporting initiatives that make a difference in the lives of our clients, fostering a culture of knowledge, rigor, and innovation at the service of healthcare.