The Nordic Research Network: Health and Welfare Technology
Description
The Health and Welfare Technology (HWT) Research Network facilitates coordinating HWT research and strengthening, expanding, and consolidating the Nordic countries' knowledge within this field. Shared experiences will benefit the Nordic countries, both at the citizen, personnel, supplier, organisational and political level in the expected future work with increased implementation of HWT.
Globally, healthcare and social care are facing a shift in which digitalisation and technology (health and welfare technology /HWT) will play an increasingly important role in specific healthcare and home care solutions. The aim is to obtain more efficient patient or client-focused processes and facilitate prolonged independent life. Other fields where HWT can be necessary is disability practice and pedagogics. Change processes apply in a different context as healthcare, home care, social care, disability care and educational/pedagogics. We make a point of departure in a Nordic context, having similar welfare systems. HWT focusing on the user perspective is not yet an established research area in the Nordic region.
The network was established in May 2019. The network has close collaboration with the Nordic Welfare centre (lenke https://nordicwelfare.org/en/) , and the management of the network follows the presidentship of the Nordic Council of Ministries. In 2021 Finland has had the presidentship and has, therefore, had the management of the HWT Research Network. In 2022 Norway has the presidentship, and Norwegian Centre for e-health research and University of Agder will therefore manage the HWT Research Network in 2022.
The Research Network has members from research institutions in the Nordic countries, and each of the country representatives in the core group is a contact person in their country.
HWT Research Network activities in 2021:
- A web page in action and an active flow of information
- Three webinars (two winter/spring – one autumn)
- Network meeting at eHIN
- Research session at EHiN
Goals
The research network aims to consolidate knowledge, research, higher education, and experiences in health and welfare technology (HWT) with a user perspective.
Method
One of the most important benefits of an HWT Research Network lies in collaboration and organising the network. Together, this Nordic research collaboration will be positioning both the need for a user perspective in HWT research and the involved organisations.
HWT Research Network inspire increased project collaboration between the Nordic countries.