Assessing the severity of illness in critically ill patients is a crucial task in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) worldwide. However, current systems are often based on local realities and can fail when applied to international contexts. An article published in the journal Critical Care Science, co-authored by researchers from the D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), argues that an international scoring system is urgently needed for intensive care medicine research and for the advancement of global public health.

Bladder cancer ranks among the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. The main treatment is bladder removal surgery, and despite advances in systemic therapies, recurrence is frequent in the most aggressive forms of the disease. For this reason, researchers have been seeking less invasive and more effective strategies to fight it.

A study involving the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and published in Biochemical Genetics points to a promising path: by blocking a small molecule called miR-21, bladder cancer cells lose their ability to multiply and spread. This discovery could pave the way for future therapies that are both less invasive and more precise.

A study published in the Journal of Critical Care, conducted with the participation of the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), investigated how to measure efficiency in the use of resources for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), an illness contracted outside hospital settings and most common among older adults.

Severe CAP represents one of the greatest challenges for ICUs. It requires complex resources, ranging from prolonged hospitalizations to respiratory support, directly affecting hospitals’ ability to deliver quality care. Despite its relevance, traditional methods of evaluating hospital performance do not always take patient severity into account, which undermines fair comparisons between institutions and hinders more effective management strategies.

Published in the Global Journal on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, a study led by D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) researchers, Dr. Helidea Lima and Dr. Leopoldo Muniz, examined how hospital accreditation influences patient safety culture in Brazilian hospitals. The publication was highlighted in the journal’s editorial, reinforcing the importance of this research conducted in Brazil.

Digital technology—and especially the Internet—has revolutionized the way we work, study, socialize, and entertain ourselves. Alongside the global increase in screen time, both public and academic attention to potentially addictive digital behaviors has grown.

One such behavior is online pornography consumption. A study published in Addictive Behaviors, conducted by researchers from Monash University (Australia), the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), investigated problematic pornography use (PPU), particularly in men.

High-fidelity realistic simulation has proven to be a powerful tool for developing critical skills in medical students. A recent study published in the Jornal de Pediatria by the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) compared the effects of this teaching method with traditional clinical case discussions in pediatric emergency training, revealing the positive impact of both approaches on medical education.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed longstanding inequalities in healthcare access worldwide, particularly in Brazil. These disparities were especially evident in access to hospital beds and vaccines, disproportionately affecting low-income communities in major cities and regions with lower human development indices.

In response, the Vacina Maré project was launched in 2021 to expand vaccination coverage and study health data in favelas during the pandemic. This ongoing initiative was developed by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the Redes da Maré organization, and the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, with support from the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and several other research institutions.

The Maré Complex, home to 16 favelas and approximately 140,000 residents, became a focal point for community-driven health interventions. Among these efforts, Vacina Maré stood out as part of a broader strategy that included vaccination campaigns, local health surveillance, telemedicine support, social assistance, and risk communication. The initiative’s success was largely due to the massive engagement of the local population, which led to international recognition, including presentations at the World Health Organization (WHO), the Brazilian Ministry of Health, and various global research centers.