Experts in Teamwork

All the project reports

A reference report

Heart failure (HF) is serious and affects about 10% of the Norwegian population above the age of 75. Costs related to HF are significant due to frequent consultations in healthcare. The Age Wave will result in an increased frequency of age-related diseases like HF. Combined with a predicted deficit of healthcare personnel, there is a demand for change to maintain the quality of treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an increased focus at digital solutions within healthcare.

Our project is based on implementation of home monitoring of patients with HF. Results from international reviews and experiences from previous implementations in Norway provided the basis for the suggested implementation, which is based on the patient’s own measurements of weight and blood pressure in addition to a health-related multiple-choice questionnaire. The goals are to improve the patients’ relation to their own health and more importantly, to discover early exacerbations and provide adjustments of the dosage of medicine in order to prevent hospital admissions and deaths. In the future, continuation of the project will require recruitment of hospitals and education of health personnel. Further development of technology with artificial intelligence will also improve our solution.

In this project we aim to present and discuss our vision in the field of welfare technology, as a part of the subject “Experts in Team” at NTNU. Our issue is based on the presentation “Welfare technology and the future health worker” by Roger Andre Søraa, and is as follows: How can technology in combination with today’s health care workers and the health care workers of the future offer help against loneliness and follow-up social isolated individuals who are in the risk group to develop depression?

Loneliness and social isolation are important topics in today's society, and they are important risk factors for morbidity among elders. Studies have shown that loneliness is associated with decreased cognitive function and an increase in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, untreated depression is associated with significant decreased functionality, risk for chronic depression and a risk factor for mortality. The increasing number of elderly in the population will lead to higher demands of the health sector. Innovative welfare technology has the potential to meet these challenges by enhancing the health services, optimizing the use of resources and providing health services to all of Norway.

Our suggested solution is to use a robot to socialize and monitor the user. The robot uses artificial intelligence and integrated algorithms that already have been tested to socialize with the elderly individual.

Lastly in our report we discuss how we can succeed with the implementation of our suggested solution in today's health system, the benefits for society and the challenges of the future.

Background: Dementia, characterized by an overall decline in cognitive abilities, impairs both the ability to complete everyday tasks and communicate with others. Through immersive multisensory stimulation, SENSE-GARDEN aims at enhancing the awareness and social participation of people suffering from dementia. These measures demand resources and time. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a focus area for technological development. The following research question was considered: “How can AI be implemented when monitoring different physical parameters, to enhance preparation of future sessions in SENSE-GARDEN”.

Material and method: The team consists of six students, all attending NTNUs medical program. The project is based on individual experience and knowledge, an interview with a SENSE-GARDEN nurse, and literature analyses. Village- and project leader Artur Serrano supervised the project.

Product: AIntelliGarden – The Next Generation SENSE-GARDEN AIntelliGarden is a hypothetical, welfare technological development of the existing SENSE-GARDEN, from a medical perspective. Sensors in a wristband and cameras ensure a constant monitoring of multiple physiological parameters. The AI-based program utilizes the data to adapt both the current and future sessions, tailoring each session to the individual users. AIntelliGarden serve as a supplement to the position currently held by therapists in SENSE-GARDEN, and does not aim to replace the crucial role they hold. Further, it allows relatives to attend sessions with their loved one, without the presence of a therapist.

Conclusion: The need for innovative welfare solutions for patients suffering from dementia is prominent. In this project, we conclude that implementation of physiological monitoring and AI can enhance the next generation of SENSE-GARDEN. Development of the product AIntelliGarden require further expertise, especially in technology. The possibilities the product represent are of great public utility, and should be considered in a possible implementation of AI in SENSE-GARDEN.

Background: “Digital hjemmeoppfølging” (Digital follow-up) is a service where technological solutions are used to follow up chronically ill patients in their own homes. In Trondheim municipality it is a service in operation for patients with COPD and heart failure. The municipality has perceived that getting the general practitioner (GP) more engaged in the service is a challenge. Our problem is as follows: "How can we include and engage the GP in digital follow-up as the service works today?".

Methods: Through reading reports, conversations with the client and two GPs, we have identified areas of focus where there are challenges with the service. Using brainstorming and dialogue with the people mentioned, we have outlined a three-part timeline that shows the development of the service. In each phase, we have made suggestions for further development of the service.

Results: The main focus of the results is to secure recruitment of GPs, and thereby patients, to the service by sketching out the doctors tasks and roles. In addition, we encourage marketing of the service, simplifying the patients inclusion criteria, making the information about the service simpler and more available, and to think through how the service should be developed in the future.

Conclusion: The results and the social benefits of the service are discussed. Time will tell whether the problem will be solved following the presented measures. Therefore we challenge Trondheim municipality to further investigate our ideas and measures to improve the service.

Background: SENSE-GARDEN is a project that involves building a room, a technologically multisensory garden, where you stimulate senses such as sight, hearing, smell, balance and touch. The SENSE-GARDENs aim to stimulate as many senses as possible to create a fullscale sensory experience. The SENSE-GARDENs have been shown to provide increased well-being and better cognitive function in patients with moderate to severe dementia. During Covid-19, elderly people in nursing homes have been isolated from their loved ones and relatives. We want to engage the relatives virtually in already existing SENSE-GARDENs. The goal is for relatives to be able to participate virtually in the session and to be able to help design the sensory session.

Method: Gathering of information through reading of articles and literature, as well as interviews.

Result: Our result is an idea for an application for smartphones, tablets, smart tv’s ect. In the app relatives should easily and intuitively be able to design personalized sessions for the patient. The relatives should be able to participate with the patient in the session through video telephony on their phone, tablet ect. The application´s safety and user friendliness are of great value to us.

Conclusion: We think the idea is executable and of benefit to the society. A lot, but manageable, work remains before the idea can be realized - including development of the application, economy and expansion of SENSE-GARDENs.