- The HUDHLL seeks to improve digital health and care solutions through Living Labs
- CSG will participate in this adventure together with the Living Lab Son Espases, a member of the BIOIB cluster, and ThessAHALL, which will guide the process
In a context where technology and innovation are rapidly transforming the way we conceive and deliver health and care services, the Galician Health Cluster has assumed a central role at the forefront of this revolution. The CSG has decided to continue in 2024 with a new European project: the Twinning DHU (Digital Health Uptake). This project not only marks a milestone in international collaboration, but also represents a firm commitment to continuous improvement and homogenization of digital solutions in the field of health and care.
The Twinning DHU project stands as a beacon of progress in this field. It is a mechanism to facilitate the transfer and implementation of innovative digital practices from one region to another. Therefore, its primary objective is to establish a solid foundation for the standardization and constant improvement of digital health and care solutions through Living Labs (LL’s) in the participating regions. These LL’s are not mere spaces for technological exchange, but rather become authentic incubators for co-creation, testing, prototyping and data management. It is in this place of ideas where cutting-edge digital solutions that are redefining the global health and social care landscape are born and perfected.
In this project we find the idea that digital transformation in health and care is not an isolated process, but rather a complete ecosystem that involves regulators, service providers, researchers and, most importantly, the patient and end-users themselves. Living Labs immerse themselves in the different healthcare ecosystems, intimately connecting the real needs of users with the technological solutions available. This user-centered approach ensures that innovations are not only technologically advanced, but also truly relevant and effective in clinical practice.
Participants in the Twinning
During this new adventure towards digital transformation, the CSG joins its collaborators ThessAHALL, leader of the twinning, and the Son Espases University Hospital, a BIOIB partner, being the latest also a member of the #ClustersSaludEspaña alliance. Throughout this time, ThessAHALL will strive to support and improve the capacity of the ITGALL services, the Galician Health Cluster, and the Son Espases University Hospital in order to promote Living Lab initiatives for the adoption and expansion of innovations.
To achieve this, three online meetings and other face-to-face meetings have been organized mainly to share common points. CSG proposed the creation of a Living Labs agora as part of the VIII edition of the Forum RIES 2023, led and organized by them. This annual event, recognized for its focus on innovative health and care solutions and their impact on people’s well-being, has become a key meeting and discussion space in the sector. In this way, and with the aim of strengthening this collaboration, the “Ágora Living Labs in care. How to homogenize at a European level the validation of digital solutions in care through Living Labs” was developed and where it was possible to talk and interact about crucial topics such as: European standardization, financing, ethics, co-creation with citizens, the role of LL’s, etc., and much more, generating synergies with various entities in the sector.
On the other hand, the partners of this project (ThessAHAL, ITGALL and the Son Espases University Hospital) also participated in the Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium in Brussels. Organized by the VITALISE project and the European Living Labs Network, the harmonization of Living Labs services and procedures as Health and Wellness Research Infrastructures was highlighted. ThessAHALL presented in this framework the interests of the adopting members with the continuation of this project. Additionally, best practices in using Living Labs for health and wellbeing research were discussed, with one-on-one meetings between the twinning lead members and adopters to create detailed adoption plans.
Together, they commit to strengthening existing capabilities, fostering collaboration, and opening the doors to new initiatives that drive the adoption and expansion of these technologies in the health field. This joint effort not only promises a more efficient and connected future in healthcare, but also represents an inspiring example of how international collaboration can lead to transformative results and tangible benefits for society as a whole.
Next steps
The Galician Health Cluster will continue its commitment to the Twinning DHU project taking advantage of the strengths of its care ecosystem, identified since 2018. During this time, the CSG has implemented several strategic lines of action to create sustainable value-added services. The identified testing and piloting capabilities, together with a community that offered the perfect context to develop turnkey projects, have been brought together under the ITGALL umbrella. Thanks to the IN-4-AHA project, a co-creation, testing and reporting protocol was established and validated, along with the development of well-being indicators. The latter have proven to be a good start for a business model that guarantees the sustainability of ITGALL. However, with this twinning it is hoped to gain a broader understanding of the interconnection of Living Labs and the ability to collaborate and validate technologies more effectively. This initiative will further strengthen the CSG’s commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in the field of digital health.
In addition, two upcoming key events for innovation and collaboration in this sector are highlighted: the Innovation Day HLL Son Espases 2024, which will bring together various actors to explore solutions in healthcare, and the V International Conference on Medical Education Informatics in Greece, organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Nottingham, which will provide a platform to address crucial topics such as health innovation, the integration of emerging technologies and the impact of university education on the digital transformation of health, promoting thus the exchange of knowledge and the generation of ideas at a global level.
Both events will be meeting points to share knowledge, practices and see future advances. However, at the CSG we will continue working and reporting on the Twinning Digital Health Uptake (DHU) project through our communication channels. Do you want to have more information? Contact the ITGALL Coordination Assistant, Nieves Freire Barea, through her email itgall@clustersaude.com.
* Digital Health Uptake has received funding from the European Union’s Digital Europe programme under grant agreement No.101083929
