Britt Östlund
Professor in Technology in Caring Sciences.
The significance of demographic trends to the technological development of the health service deals fundamentally with new expectations concerning life and health. The unique contemporary situation in which the expected average lifespan is two decades longer than it was four generations ago has drastically changed the health service's prerequisites. At the same time, there is the development of mobile services and improved opportunities for prevention, care and rehabilitation in the home.
The new situation is altering the conditions of interprofessional collaboration in the health service, the patient's role and the arenas in which health and social care are provided. This increases the demand for innovative measures and processes, and an organisational structure and methods adapted for greater participation by all those involved, not least patients and service users.
To bring about an effective implementation, Britt Östlund works to engage those working in the day-to-day operations that are part of these innovation processes. In collaboration with the Red Cross University College, this work contributes to shaping the nurse's professional role in conjunction with digitalisation in health and social care. This involves aspects such as the development of methods that meet the demands for a holistic approach, quality of life and evidence, and reinforcing citizens' chances of participating and taking responsibility for their own health.