Improving care through the use of digital solutions and simultaneously reducing the workload of care staff - this is the aim of the "Future of Care" research cluster funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). This is now entering its second funding phase, which focuses on the transfer of new technologies into practice. The Care Innovation Centre (PIZ) in Oldenburg and Bremen is an important component of this. Prof Karin Wolf-Ostermann from the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP) is conducting research in the cluster.
Health care in Germany is facing enormous challenges: A sharp rise in the number of people in need of care is coming up against a glaring shortage of skilled labour. At the same time, nursing interventions are becoming increasingly complex. To address these problems, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is supporting the development and research of new care technologies.
As part of the "Future of Care" cluster, social and technical innovations in care have been brought together since 2017: research, business and care practice are working together with users on new products that are intended to make everyday care in Germany easier and better. The first component of the care cluster, the Care Innovation Centre (PIZ), which is unique in Germany to date, began its work in June 2017. Here, engineers from OFFIS in Oldenburg are researching new technologies together with nursing scientists (Prof. Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann, Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research) and nursing economists (Prof. Dr Heinz Rothgang, SOCIUM Research Centre on Inequality and Social Policy) from the University of Bremen. Ethical, social and legal aspects also play a central role here, which the University of Oldenburg is focussing on.
Following the successful first phase, the research project is now entering its second round, in which the cluster is to be expanded into an "innovation and transfer hub". While the development and testing of new technologies has taken centre stage to date, the aim now is to accelerate the transfer of these technologies into widespread practice. This includes, for example, robotic systems to physically relieve care staff during physically demanding activities or technologies to support telecare, for example through the sensory recording of health status.
The Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research at the University of Bremen contributes extensive expertise in nursing research, nursing economics and care research with a special focus on digital nursing technologies. "Technological innovations can make everyday life in care easier, but they must be able to be integrated into care practice and the work of care staff in a meaningful way," says Prof Dr Karin Wolf-Ostermann. Among other things, the Bremen-based scientists are analysing the need for technological support in various outpatient and inpatient care situations, investigating how technological innovations such as smartwatches and other wearables can be integrated into everyday care and addressing questions relating to the evaluation of the use of technology. "With our experience, research focuses and networks, we can also play a mediating role between the needs and requirements of care practice, the interests of developers and science," says Prof Dr Heinz Rothgang.
The "Future of Care" cluster will receive a total of around 20 million euros in funding over the next five years. In addition to the PIZ, the project includes four so-called "Care Practice Centres" (PPZ) in Berlin, Freiburg, Hanover and Nuremberg, which will play an important role in the implementation and evaluation of the technologies and products.
