ISy-CARE: Integrierte sozio-technische Systeme für nutzerzentrierte Versorgung

The application to the DATIpilot Communities funding programme is a huge success for the players from the OWL region. There was a great deal of interest in the DATIpilot call for proposals from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In a three-stage selection process, almost 500 submitted outlines were assessed, from which an independent jury of twelve experts from science, industry and society finally invited the 40 most promising teams to Berlin for the final selection round. The jury then recommended 20 innovation communities to the BMBF for funding. Around 80 universities, research institutions, companies and other organisations are involved in the teams of the 20 funded innovation communities.

The successful ISy-Care project aims to help improve the health and quality of life of people in the OWL region and is therefore a strategic approach to regional development that strengthens the transfer of knowledge between research and practice and helps to align social and technical innovations more closely with needs. In addition to ZIG OWL, the innovation community includes Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (HSBI) with the CareTech OWL research network, the v. Bodelschwingh Stiftungen Bethel, TH OWL, Klinikum Lippe and Connext GmbH. Other partners from practice, science and business are involved in various sub-projects, including Bielefeld University and Paderborn University. It bundles networks in the region through strategically coordinated management and strengthens the nationwide network to increase synergies in a targeted manner. The aim is for the innovation community to establish excellent research into care and care technologies and bring it ‘on the road’. Focussing on the integration of socio-technical systems in the health-oriented care of people with rehabilitation and support needs, experts from science and practice will (further) develop and test innovative solutions together with those affected to promote a healthy life. The aim is to tap into the potential of intelligent systems for greater participation and overcome obstacles (e.g. lack of acceptance, lack of knowledge or funding systems). The guiding principle here is the improvement of the so-called patient journey - the path of patients with an illness through the healthcare system.

Initially focussing on rehabilitation, projects on integrated innovation development and transfer, questions of education and training as well as the communication of scientifically sound results will be of central importance. The ISy-Care innovation community addresses different target groups: (1) patients and clients, for whom the corresponding socio-technical innovations enable a better life, (2) (care) professionals and medical practitioners, whose professional burden is increased by the use of the innovations: (3) facilities that can increase their attractiveness for attracting new specialists and managers and/or work more profitably and (4) the social systems, which are relieved, for example, by earlier discharges from inpatient care, longer care in the home context and lower sickness rates on the part of professionals.

The Institute of Industrial Information Technology is responsible for the transfer tasks in the field of care data with a sub-project. Care data encompasses all technologies in the field of care that address the optimisation of care and rehabilitation through exclusively data- and software-based technical solutions. This includes digitalisation concepts, the integration of app-based solutions, data analyses using machine learning and digital assistance systems supported by artificial intelligence methods.