Welfare Technology, E-health and Innovation

In this course, the emphasis is placed on innovation related to service in the elderly care sector, reflecting on and analysis of current practice is a central starting point for quality improvement and better resource utilization in practice. Welfare technology and e-health can be means to support and improve opportunities for an active and independent life for older people. This includes technological assistance that contributes, among other things, to increased security, security and social participation and mobility for the user. An important challenge for the health and social care profession is to safeguard the interests and dignity of the elderly, and use the professional values of the process through the innovation processes while meeting the needs of society.

Current topics are:

• Innovation and welfare technology as a concept - implementation science
• Product and service development
• Organizational theory with emphasis on learning organizations
• Quality improvement and patient safety
• dialogue and collaboration with users, management and colleagues
• Project and project work as a working method
• Professional and ethical reflection on welfare technology and e-health
• Laws, regulations and public inquiries that govern services for the elderly

The student will (after completion of the course):

Knowledge

• have significant knowledge of relevant concepts in welfare technology, e-health and innovation in the health service related to measures that can support and enhance users' safety, security, mobility, and to enable increased physical and cultural activity
• have thorough knowledge of implementation science, including factors that promote or inhibit the implementation of new practice in health services
• have knowledge of relevant methods for implementing and evaluating projects related to quality improvement and innovation
• have knowledge of existing welfare technology solutions

Skills

• be able to apply knowledge of welfare technology solutions and e-health in the planning and exercise of preventive health and health promotion work in elderly
• be able to assess situations where use of welfare technology and e-health may be appropriate in health and care work and see the need for implementing relevant measures
• be able to apply recognized methods for quality improvement and innovation and evaluate the effects of such measures in the health service to older people

Competence

• have an understanding of professional ethical challenges and dilemmas related to welfare technology and e-health in order to safeguard consent, privacy and the integrity of the individual
• be able to contribute to innovation and innovation in the health and care sector

Lectures, home assignments and group work