Faced with a widely dispersed and ageing population, leaders in the healthcare sector in Jämtland Härjedalen, Sweden, and Trøndelag, Norway, turned to local businesses to develop and test new welfare technology. The VälTel project has led to innovative developments in local healthcare services and created a valuable cross-border, cross-sector collaboration with many benefits for public health.
VälTel: Partnership brings smart solutions for rural healthcare in Sweden and Norway
- 19 September 2020
The project has highlighted the importance of co-production methods between different partners, such as participants from the business community and healthcare. The valuable cross-border collaboration is growing even after the project has ended.
The demographic shift towards an ageing population is particularly advanced in northern Sweden and Norway, where many people live far from the nearest care facilities. With a large proportion of elderly residents compared with other industrialised nations, the two regions’ authorities need new techniques and ways of working to tackle complex health and social care challenges.
To address this, the VälTel consortium invited businesses to develop, test and evaluate healthcare innovations in public and private hospitals, health centres and home care settings. Many of the tested products have turned into marketable solutions, services or scientific publications.
Mobile X-ray car
Dozens of innovations were tested, across three broad issues: mobile and decentralised health solutions, safe homes, and providing emergency support in sparsely populated areas.
They include the evaluation of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to monitor disease-related parameters and lifestyle factors in home care, and developing a mobile X-ray device in a custom-made car to deliver services for fragile elderly patients living in remote areas. Both these innovations have been taken up by local authorities following a successful test phase.
The project also tested commercially available GPS watches to evaluate their potential in safeguarding dementia patients. The trial of a pocket-sized ultrasound device that can detect suspected heart failure and refer patients for specialist care has been written about in a number of scientific publications.
Public benefits
Other tests included digital bed guards, the use of robots for drug distribution, and the creation of a virtual primary care emergency room, allowing a single GP to serve multiple remote care centres via IoT devices and cameras.
While not all tests were successful, they have all been educational for both the public sector and industry. There have been numerous indirect effects, such as the establishment of the eHealth centre in Östersund, Sweden, and an innovation clinic at Levanger Hospital in Norway.
In addition, a formal agreement has been signed between the R&D units of Region Jämtland Härjedalen in Sweden and Nord Trøndelag Hospital Trust in Norway on collaboration in research, education, development and innovation in healthcare.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Welfare technology test labs” is EUR 2 998 596, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 938 204 through the “Interreg Sweden-Norway” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Increase the innovation capacity of SMEs and organisations”.