Delegate: Vera Santos Martins | Hospital da Luz
Affiliation: Hospital da Luz Lisboa | Hospital de Misericórdia de Évora – Rede Luz saúde | Hospital da Luz Oeiras | Hospital da Luz Torres de Lisboa
Short Bio: Hospital da Luz Lisboa is a private hospital located in Lisbon and is part of Luz Saude Group, one of the largest private healthcare providers in Portugal. The main strategic guidelines of Luz Saúde include the development of an integrated network of health care, which incorporates hospital units, outpatient clinics and specialised care hospitals.
Vera Santos Martins is a Pulmonology Senior Consultant, working on clinical practice in Sleep Medicine since 2011. Somnologist–Expert in Sleep Medicine by the European Sleep Research Society since October 2022.
Professional Experience in Sleep Medicine:
2015-PRESENT:Pulmonologist at Hospital da Luz Network Clinics (Sleep Apnea Outpatient Consultation, integrating multidisciplinary group of sleep medicine, general pulmonology consultation)
2015–2022:Pulmonologist at Hospital Beatriz Ângelo (Loures,Portugal) working at Sleep Medicine Unit; coordinator of Sleep Apnea Ambulatory Consultation 2016-2023; collaboration on the education of pulmonology fellows in sleep medicine 2017-2023.
Activity: In 2024 we decided to raise awareness to the different clinical manifestations of obstructive sleep apnea across population, namely in female, men, young people, obese and pregnancy, bringing equity to the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in the Portuguese population. The chosen theme was “A apnea do sono não escolhe idades, géneros ou condições” (Sleep apnea doesn´t choose age, gender or other conditions).
For that purpose we developed a range of strategies and activities that will happen throughout March of 2024 across Portugal:
1. Release of an animated video on social media, targeting general public, about obstructive sleep apnea and its different manifestations across subgroups; and emission of that video in waiting rooms of Hospitals and clinics of the Luz Saude Group.
2. Release of a video on our intranet, targeting medical doctors, about obstructive sleep apnea and its different manifestations across subgroups, raising awareness to undiagnosed OSA.
3. Performing medical screening with the use of sleep questionnaires to the ambulatory patients, on the 15th of March 2024. The screening will take place in 14 Hospitals and Clinics across Portugal, namely: Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Hospital da Luz Oeiras, Hospital da Luz Torres de Lisboa, Hospital da Misericórdia de Évora – Rede Luz Saúde, Hospital da Luz Arrábida, Hospital da Luz Clínica do Porto, Hospital da Luz Guimarães, Hospital da Luz Odivelas, Hospital da Luz Coimbra, Hospital da Luz Vila Real, Hospital da Luz Oiã, Hospital da Luz Clinica de Santa Maria da Feira, Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim, Hospital da Luz Aveiro, Hospital da Luz Clínica de Amadora, Hospital da Luz Clinica de Covilhã.
4. Elaboration of a informational text about “Sleep apnea doesn´t choose age, gender or other conditions” directed to the general public, available on the website of Hospital da Luz.
Location: 14 Hospital and Clinics of Luz Saúde Group, across Portugal
Date of Activity: March 2024
Submitted by: Vera Santos Martins
