Presenting Our Research at EuGMS 2026: My First International Oral Presentation
Attending the 22nd EuGMS Congress in Lille was a particularly meaningful experience for me, as it was my first oral presentation at an international congress abroad. With the support of the PROGRAMMING COST Action CA21122 ITC Conference Grant, I had the opportunity to present our study, “Are Nutrition Apps Age-Friendly? A Multi-Methodological Quality Assessment by a Geriatrician Expert Panel,” to an international audience in geriatric medicine.
Our study evaluated commonly used nutrition applications from two perspectives: their general quality and their suitability for older adults, considering visual, motor, cognitive, clinical nutrition, and safety-related needs. Although the applications generally demonstrated good conventional quality, their geriatric suitability was considerably lower, highlighting the importance of considering age-friendliness as a distinct dimension in mobile health technologies.
The discussion following the presentation was especially valuable. The session chair asked why the applications had not been evaluated directly by older adults. I explained that this study was intentionally designed as an expert-based evaluation by geriatricians using a standardized clinical case, while direct evaluation with older adults represents an important next step in our research. Another participant asked why we had selected widely used applications, many of which are primarily designed for younger users. This gave me the opportunity to explain that we deliberately selected popular, highly rated, and recently updated applications because we expected them to represent relatively well-developed examples in terms of general technical quality.
Beyond my own presentation, I was impressed by the scientific programme, which covered highly current and clinically relevant topics in geriatric medicine. The presentations provided up-to-date perspectives on emerging evidence, new technologies, and evolving approaches to the care of older adults. The exhibition area also introduced me to technologies, products, and solutions that I had not previously encountered, and I enjoyed exploring the wide selection of books related to geriatrics and ageing.
The congress was equally valuable for the people I met. I connected with other presenters and had the opportunity to meet Assoc. Prof. Serdar Özkök and Prof. Dr. Pınar Soysal, as well as physiotherapists, dietitians, and other healthcare professionals. I was particularly happy to learn that some participants from different professional backgrounds had also attended with COST support. Hearing COST acknowledged during the opening ceremony and seeing its international reach made me appreciate how this support brings together healthcare professionals and researchers from different countries and disciplines. It was also wonderful to reconnect with old friends and colleagues whom I had not seen for a long time.
This experience has increased my motivation to become more actively involved in the European geriatric community, and I am particularly looking forward to registering for ECGI and participating in its activities.
I am sincerely grateful to PROGRAMMING COST Action CA21122 for supporting my participation in EuGMS 2026 and my first international oral presentation abroad. It was an exciting, educational, and memorable experience that has encouraged me to continue developing my academic work and international professional connections.
