Digital HealthCare Hub in Halle (Saale, Germany)

Dorothea Erxleben Learning Center of the Medical Faculty
Halle (Saale, Germany)

Digital and assistive technologies offer great potential in healthcare to respond actively and effectively to current and future challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change. There is already a large portfolio of available products, but also a need for complementary innovations. However, both the existing technology and the technology that is still in the process of being developed must also be implemented practically in nursing care. Therefore, within the framework of the FORMAT project (duration: 12.2016 to 12.2019; funded by the Ministry of Economics, Science and Digitalisation of Saxony-Anhalt), the Future Care Lab was created in the form of simulated premises. These include a wardroom, a GP’s practice as well as a home, in order to be able to experience technology-supported scenarios in practice with didactic support. For example, in addition to various low-threshold technologies such as tablets and smartboards, assistance and emotional robotics, VR technologies and telepresence robotics are also available for this purpose (for further information on the equipment, please refer to this website: https://format.medizin.uni-halle.de/technologie/).

In addition, the environment, which is designable according to the respective requirements, encourages the participatory and co-creative development, reflection and systematic evaluation of further solution-oriented innovations in accordance with the needs and requirements of future users, both with the target groups and possible partners from industry and healthcare.

In addition, the Future Care Lab is an essential component of the Digital HealthCare Hub, which was founded in May 2021, and which bundles further different offers of new and innovative methods of research-based teaching, learning and development.