General details
EDIHs involved
Challenges
The healthcare sector is facing unprecedented challenges, driven by an aging population and a growing shortage of skilled labor. As a result, caregivers are experiencing mounting stress and demanding working conditions. To alleviate this burden, there is an urgent need for innovative technologies that can streamline care processes, save time, and enhance the quality of support provided. These advancements not only ease the workload for caregivers but also empower care recipients, allowing them to maintain their independence while ensuring their safety, especially in emergencies. Despite the availability of such transformative technologies, awareness remains low, and many individuals lack the opportunity to see them in action or understand their potential impact.
Solutions
The OFFIS Institute for Information Technology and the University of Oldenburg offer various real-world laboratories where both prototype and commercial health technology solutions can be experienced in action:
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Ambient Assisted Living Lab:
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Features: Smart home technology, fall detection systems, passive emergency call systems, social robotics for remote care.
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Purpose: Demonstrates how technology can assist with daily living and emergency situations.
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Intensive Care Unit Lab:
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Features: Augmented reality glasses for accessing patient vital signs, robotic assistance for patient mobilisation and communication with relatives, voice-controlled tools for care documentation.
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Purpose: Shows the integration of advanced technology in intensive care settings to support caregivers.
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Inpatient Nursing Home Lab:
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Features: Smart home technology, robotics for patient mobilisation and simulation, 3D camera system for monitoring ergonomic movements during care.
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Purpose: Highlights technology that supports patient care and caregiver ergonomics in a nursing home setting.
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These laboratories allow caregivers, patients, and the public to experience smart health technology in real-life scenarios. Guided tours have been highly popular, with over 2000 visitors in the past year.
All real-world laboratories have been financed through public funding. The Ambient Assited Living Lab was funded by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony as part of a research project on Ambient Assisted Living, i.e. the development of assistive technology that enables older persons to remain independent for a longer time, despite issues such as fall risk or chronic diseases. All other labs were funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the "Nursing Care Innovation Centre", a large project on technical innovations for nursing care that is coordinated by OFFIS.
Results and Benefits
Innovative health technology provides significant support to caregivers, many of whom work in SMEs or PSOs, by reducing mental and physical stress. Despite the availability of these technologies, awareness remains low. The real-world laboratories address this gap by:
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Raising Awareness: Caregivers and patients experience firsthand the benefits of existing technologies, initiating digitisation projects.
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Enabling Independent Living: Demonstrates to patients and their relatives how technology can support independent living for those needing care.
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Providing Usability Feedback: Health technology providers receive valuable feedback on the usability of their solutions, aiding further development.
Perceived social/economic impact
Currently, three real-world laboratories are operational at the OFFIS Institute for Information Technology and the University of Oldenburg. Within the laboratories there are more than 20 commercial health care products as well as 20 internally developed prototypes displayed. The demonstrated technologies cover various sensor-based systems, robotics, virtual and augmented reality, smart home solutions as well as health care apps. Since the beginning of 2023, more than 2000 vistitors have taken part in the guided lab tours.
Lessons learned
Do's:
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Offer Guided Tours: Beneficial for experienced caregivers and those in training, providing practical insights into innovative technology.
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Provide Hands-On Experience: Allow participants to interact with technology, enhancing understanding and acceptance.
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Engage with Feedback: Collect and incorporate feedback from caregivers and patients to improve technology usability.
Don'ts:
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Don't Overlook Training: Ensure adequate training for caregivers to maximise the benefits of new technology.
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Don't Ignore Usability: Prioritise user-friendly designs to facilitate easy adoption by caregivers and patients.
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