International Multidisciplinary Meeting on
For Better Public Health and Healthcare
This international multidisciplinary event aimed to investigate the present state of public health policies and health care services across different medical fields, aiming to stimulate reflections on future directions in this field. The meeting took place in the Tuscan Spa city of Montecatini Terme, Italy, on 7-9 November 2025. It was organised by the International Urban Symposium-IUS in association with Con Noi sulla Retta Via, EcoAma, FIP, University of Kent Centre for Health Services Studies, and City St George’s, University of London.
Recognising that sustainable healthcare solutions and planning and management of our living environment are fundamental to public health outcomes, the key objective was to offer evidence-based, practical solutions through specific case studies. Effective public health management requires more than just stated commitments — it demands concrete action, innovative solutions and sustained collaboration across sectors. It promotes an integrated approach to address not only immediate healthcare challenges but also long-term accessibility goals and sustainability and its impact on public health in terms of costs and efficiency. The initiative aimed to bridge the gap between government promises and practical implementation, protecting public health while creating resilient, efficient and accessible healthcare systems that serve and may be accessed by all community members.
The multidisciplinary approach brought together professionals from different fields in the medical sector, academic research and urban design. Presentations and discussion focused on interrelated topics on Reducing systemic healthcare costs and improving access; to reduce healthcare costs and improve patients’ access to health services; public health policies; Environmental health integration, specifically on environmental aspects and their impact on health; Digital health innovation and AI integration, assessing the risks and benefits of their application.
Speakers (in alphabetic order) addressed: The occupational realities of hospital Chaplains (Gary Armstrong); Cooperation and conflict between citizens and physicians (Z. Nurdan Atalay); Continuity of care, including digital healthcare and access to primary care (Simon Bailey); Investing in territorial programmes and prevention to improve services and reducing costs (Carlo Benvenuti); Planning of health architecture for sustainable healthcare (Evangelia Chrysikou); Improving health population, focusing on health inequalities and socio-economic, cultural and environmental determinants of health (Lindsay Forbes); Reducing healthcare costs and improving access in general and oncology surgery (Francesco Giovinazzo); Digital transformation, research and development of digital parameters, including telehealth, homecare technologies, AI implementation (Hadas Lewy and Refael Barkan); Urban planning and green buildings strategies (Elias Messinas); Therapeutic landscape design and healing gardens in hospitals (Radu Negulescu); Impact of misgovernance and bad legislation on public health and healthcare (Italo Pardo); Integrated care systems, digital health and the ethical, social and legislative implications of AI applications (Giuliana B. Prato); Tackling recreational drugs through a multidisciplinary and multiagency approach (James Roosbrook-Thompson); Prevention and the role of education (Antonia Stefanelli); Prevention and innovation to reduce costs in podiatry (Daniel Weisz).
This Meeting will be followed by the International Multidisciplinary Conference on FOR A BETTER PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE: MULTIDISCIPLINARY SOLUTIONS, to be held in Montecatini Terme, Italy on 13-15 March 2026. Details are available at: International Multidisciplinary Health Conference 2026 | International Urban Symposium – IUS
