A research team composed of students from Kolegji Heimerer, led by of our ICR staff in Prishtina, Erza Selmani and Prof. Petrit Beqiri, replicated a study originally conducted by the University of Halle. The study, titled “Technical Affinity and Interest in Further Training of Nursing Trainees: An Online Survey,” aimed to assess the open-mindedness and interest in further education among nursing students in Kosovo, particularly in the context of digital and assistive technologies, mirroring similar research conducted in Germany by ICR colleagues at the University of Halle.
The findings indicate that while the level of knowledge about assistive technology among nursing students in Kosovo is relatively low, there is a significant interest in future training in this area.
The majority of the participants were aged between 20-30 years, similar to the age group in the German study. According to the World Health Organization, examples of assistive devices and technology include wheelchairs, prostheses, hearing aids, visual aids, mobility beds, and specialized computing devices that enhance mobility, hearing, vision, or communication capacities (World Health Organization, 2018). Among these devices, Kosovan nursing students are most familiar with mobilization beds, followed by home emergency call systems. In contrast, German nursing students had the most experience with home emergency call systems, with mobilization beds being the second most familiar. Kosovan nursing students had the least experience with video monitoring devices, while for German students, the least familiar device was the medication dispenser with a reminder function.
Despite the initial challenges faced by healthcare workers worldwide, particularly in Kosovo, in fully adopting computer technology, the results of this study show that 94.7% of participants now accept that computers must be used daily and envision this as part of their routine. The German study found similar results.
In Germany, 46.5% of respondents viewed telepresence as the most 
conceivable model for home use. Similarly, in Kosovo, 33.3% of respondents saw telepresence as the most imaginable model for home use. However, only 28.4% of Kosovar nursing students could somewhat envision the integration of robots in healthcare delivery, whereas German students saw robots as the
most imaginable device for this purpose. This difference in perspective may be attributed to the lack of training and knowledge about the capabilities of assistive robots among Kosovar nursing staff.
Both studies recommend further training and education focused on practice-oriented learning. Future Care Labs offer an ideal environment to support the digital transformation in healthcare by equipping healthcare professionals with the necessary technical competencies.
Sources:
Buhtz, C., Paulicke, D., Hofstetter, S., & Jahn, P. (2020). Technikaffinität und Fortbildungsinteresse von Auszubildenden der Pflegefachberufe: eine Onlinebefragung. HeilberufeScience, 11(1–2), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s16024-020-00337-5
Pllana et al. (2023). Afiniteti për teknologjinë asistive dhe interesi për trajnime në të ardhmen tek infermierët Kosovarë. Manuscript in preparation.