Technology in healthcare requires more than innovation alone
How do we ensure that technology becomes a natural part of care and support? Not as a separate project or temporary pilot, but as a sustainable reinforcement of the daily work of professionals and people with care needs. That question was at the heart of the closing event Samen Slimmer: Skills Development & Care Technology on 22 April. Care and welfare organisations, education, companies and innovation partners discussed the regional task around technology adoption.
The Smarter Together project was made possible by joint funding from the Human Capital Agreement and Health Valley. The Human Capital Akkoord encourages the Health cluster to work smarter together on the labour market issues of today and tomorrow. Technology can help, but only if organisations also invest in learning, development and change in the workplace.
Regional cooperation on learning and development
That is why the Human Capital Accord stimulates regional learning and development, among other things through the deployment of the Tech@d Option practorate of ROC Nijmegen and the Technology for Health lectorate of the HAN. They help to link practical questions from healthcare organisations to knowledge development, education and innovation. They work together on issues concerning technological innovations that contribute to smarter working in care and welfare.
From experimentation to structural embedding
During the meeting, it became clear that there is not necessarily a shortage of technology. The challenge lies mainly in its sustainable application in practice. Innovations often start out promising, but disappear after the pilot phase. Teams want to, but lack time, support and a clear place in the work process. A common language and clear agreements on cooperation are also still too often lacking.
The main conclusion of the afternoon: Tech@doption is not a technology issue, but an organisational and change task. This calls for a movement from separate projects to structural embedding, from experimenting to securing and from individual learning to regional cooperation.
Building tomorrow's care together
The next step is therefore not more innovation, but better implementation of proven solutions. This requires space: for healthcare employees to learn to use technology, for clients to move along and for organisations to actively share knowledge, experiences and practical questions.
Within Lifeport Regio Arnhem Nijmegen, a scalable ecosystem in which care, welfare, education, government and companies work together more intensively on practical issues is being built. The energy and recognition during the meeting were great. Now it is a matter of making choices, connecting and taking action.
Would you like to think along or join the next steps around technology in health and well-being? The desk for questions and challenges is open via Tech@doptie.
