Telehealth & Telerehabilitation

Laboratory for Welfare Technologies - Telehealth & Telerehabilitation

Head of Laboratory: Birthe Dinesen, Associate Professor (bid)

Aim

  • To identify known and unknown needs of future patients and citizens for innovation and development of new technologies.
  • To facilitate interdisciplinary workshops based on user-driven innovation to develop new technologies, and (inter-) organizational and service concepts for the healthcare and social sector.
  • To test prototypes of welfare, telehealth and telerehabilitation technologies in close collaboration with patients, relatives, companies and the healthcare and social sector.
  • To develop and test the use of social media and interactive communication technologies for future patients within the healthcare and social sector.
  • To conduct clinical trials and create evidence of new welfare, telehealth and telerehabilitation technologies in a national and international context.
  • To conduct effect evaluations of new technologies and telehealth and telerehabilitaion technologies.

Main Research Areas

  1. Innovation of prototypes and “proof-of concept” of new welfare, telehealth and telerehabilitation technologies for future patients within the healthcare and social sector.
  2. New tools, methods and technologies for patients to monitor own health and well-being.
  3. Innovation of new telehealth and telerehabilitation programs across sectors at scale.
  4. Clinical trials of new telehealth and telerehabilitation technologies and programs. The clinical trials are all conducted according to the Helsinki Declaration, approved by Ethic Committees and reported to an international database for clinical trials (ClinicalTrial.gov). The laboratory conducts the clinical trials with an interdisciplinary research team covering clinical aspects, psychology, organizational aspects, technical issues and health economy aspects.

Examples of Research Projects

Key Collaborators

The laboratory collaborates closely with patients, citizens, and relatives who are interested in development and testing of new technologies. Collaboration also encompasses healthcare professionals at hospitals, in healthcare centers in municipalities, district nursing, GP’s and staff within the social sector in Denmark and abroad.Development and testing of new technologies are done in close collaboration with numerous Danish and international companies within telehealth and telerehabilitation.
The work of the researchers in is based on interdisciplinarity and is performed in cooperation with colleagues from Aarhus University, Copenhagen University and University of Southern Denmark. Internationally collaboration is performed with:

  • Norwegian Center for Integrated Care and Telemedicine in Tromsø, Norway
  • La Tromte University, Australia
  • Guangzhou Hospital, China
  • The Translantic Telehealth Network (TTRN) consisting of Cleveland Clinic, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, USA, and Aalborg University.
  • International Network of Integrated Care.
  • International Society of Telemedicine and eHealth (ISfTeH)
  • Artic Transatlantic Telehealth Research Network (ATTRN) - network between partners in the TTRN and Greenland. 

The laboratory welcomes new collaborators within the healthcare and social sector and companies in Denmark and abroad.

            

Location

Niels Jernes vej 12, A5-203