The project investigates the design, implementation and use of digital technologies for remote care for post-operative follow up in Norway and in China.
Remote care is seen as a way to address the problem of the increasing number of patients with chronic conditions. The current healthcare system cannot deal with such demand. China in particular faces critical difficulties in Post-operative follow-up and rehabilitation for thoracic and cardiac surgery patients. In this country the healthcare systems outside of specialized hospitals are not sufficiently developed, patients do not get the appropriate level of visits, rehabilitation, monitor and follow-up. In Norway remote care is guided by the aim of enabling patients with chronic conditions to live at home, in their best of health and quality of life and receive preventive as well as follow up care.
The project aims to understand how digital technologies for remote care can be scaled to support large numbers of patients and a variety of conditions for high-quality services. The current experiences with such technologies are limited to pilot projects and rather small implementations.
This project specifically investigates the scaling of a digital solution for remote care which is based on a health management cloud platform technology and connected devices (IoT). This solution supports a collaborative care model, where patients and care givers interact remotely. Patients interact with health professionals from home and are asked to perform simple measuring tasks using digital devices, and respond to questions and follow up the instructions they receive. This solution is in use in Norway on a small scale, and is currently been scaled up. It is also being tested and implemented in China, and will targeting large patient populations.
The research is designed as comparative and interdisciplinary. The comparative design across Norway and China will enable in depth learning of scaling strategies in different healthcare systems, and contribute to the design and implementation processes in both countries. The project is interdisciplinary and combines technological, medical, economic, design and management expertise in testing, adjusting and validating the digital remote care solution. This is an innovative approach which will contribute to the development of new knowledge about how to best design, scale, and appropriate digital technologies for remote care and specially targeted to postoperative thoracic and cardiac surgery patients.
Research partners are UiO, BI, NTNU, AHO, OUS.