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A health house for co-creation

I4Health invited to an open day in the spirit of cooperation. Both private and public sector see opportunities in providing a technological boost to future healthcare for the benefit of users.

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People on screens, photo.
Around 120 participants from the private and public sector, academia and user organisations took part in an open day at I4Health. Here, participants are given a tour of the Usability Lab.

On Wednesday 26 February, the Centre for eHealth at the University of Agder (UiA) invited to an open day at I4Health. The health house, which was officially opened on 30 August 2019, is a collaboration on technology, innovation, health science research and care practices between the university, municipalities, business and industry, and users.

“There has been great interest both in I4Health and everything the region does related to eHealth. While the inauguration in August was for politicians and press, this time we wanted to invite cooperation partners and other researchers”, says Margunn Aanestad.

She leads Centre for eHealth, one of UiA’s priority research centres. Here, technology is used as a tool for innovative and efficient user-centred health services. The goal is to make Agder a model region for research and innovation.

Testing new solutions

I4Health is a centre for innovation and service development within health and care and is located at UiA’s Campus Grimstad.

The health house brings together UiA’s research groups in the field with, among others, the Hospital of Southern Norway, the Norwegian Smart Care Cluster, parts of Grimstad municipality healthcare services, and the municipality’s development centre for nursing homes and home care services.

Staff at the Centre for eHealth. Scientific Lead Margunn Aanestad in the middle on the right, next to Administrative Lead Ragni Macqueen Leifson. (Photo: Jan Petter Thorsen, Aptum)

“The fact that so many stakeholders are collected here provides us with the opportunity for new cooperation and innovative ideas. The Centre for eHealth must remain close to care practices and be user-centred, and that requires a place where we can meet and try out new solutions”, Aanestad says.

She also does not hide that the informal connections forged over lunch between researchers, municipal employees and hospital staff also provides many opportunities for co-creation.

Cooperation is necessary

Professor George Crooks, professor and chief executive of the Digital Health and Care Institute in Glasgow, Scotland.

“As a doctor, I have wasted years of my working life by keeping businesses at arm’s length. Cooperation between academia, the public sector, businesses and end-users is the future.”

This is what Professor George Crooks said in his keynote speech at I4Health on 26 February. Brooks is professor and chief executive of the Digital Health and Care Institute in Glasgow, Scotland.

While technology and its uses are constantly changing, health services have not developed at the same pace, he pointed out, and added that regarding technology, when you enter a hospital, you go five to ten years back in time.

“We don’t have all the answers. We don’t even have all the questions. That is why we must work together”, he says.

Strengthening companies

Arild Kristensen, the leader of Norwegian Smart Care Cluster, addresses the audience.

Arild Kristensen is the manager of the Norwegian Smart Care Cluster (NSCC), a cluster for the Norwegian health industry with more than 130 companies and 50 municipalities/government institutions. NSCC has offices at I4Health.

“We have established a cooperation with I4Health where we see that our companies get access both to premises and a vibrant research environment here in Agder”, he says.

Kristensen says that NSCC wants to take part in developing a regional innovation system in Agder and that I4Health will be a part of this.

“We see there are many strong research groups at UiA, among them Centre for eHealth, Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research, and Mechatronics Innovation Lab, but not many companies participate. We aim to help strengthen companies in this collaboration”, says Kristensen.   

Unique opportunities

Siw Helene Myhrer (on the left), senior adviser at Division for Technology Enabled Care and Rehabilitation at the Norwegian Directorate of Health, in conversation with Associate Professor Martin Gerdes from the Department of Information and Communication Technology.

Siw Helene Myhrer is a senior adviser at the Division for Technology Enabled Care and Rehabilitation at the Norwegian Directorate of Health. She also attended the open day on 26 February.

“To us in the national programme for technology-enabled care, I4Health provides unique opportunities for cooperation between municipalities, the specialist health service, the development centre, academia, business and industry, and users”, she says.

Myhrer says she looks forward to following the developments and hearing about the efforts at I4Health in the time ahead.

“I4Health can remove barriers and contribute to better adjusted and safer technologies, more confident co-workers and students, greater understanding for each other, and quicker implementation of new technologies and new knowledge”, she says.

Exemplary co-creation

The around 120 participants at the open day were welcomed by Vice-Rector Morten Brekke from UiA and head of I4Health AS, Inger Holen.

“Centre for eHealth is already one of the best examples of co-creation at the university. With I4Health’s focus on regional, national and international cooperation, UiA will continue the work to find new solutions to improve our society”, Brekke said.

Inger Holen emphasised that Agder is a leading region when it comes to eHealth.

“I look forward to the time when we will use this new infrastructure to test new practical solutions for end-users while helping improve the economy of the municipalities”, said Holen.