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HWT research webinar series

The international webinar series in Health and Welfare technology research is initiated and hosted by Sarah Wamala Andersson, Professor of Health and Welfare Technology at Mälardalens University, Sweden.

Webinars

Background

Health systems are facing huge challenges of growing aging population, unexpected global challenges, decreasing numbers of health and care workers and budget constraints. Thus, new technologic solutions are needed to promote health and wellbeing, prevent ill-health and enable efficient provision of health and social care services.

Health is not merely the absence of disease and disability, but it is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Welfare services (from the Nordic perspective) include provision of social and care services (such as; education, child care, elderly care, living conditions and environments and empowerment of the citizens). Yet technologic development and solutions are dynamic, fast and involve several aspects and players. All this contribute to the complexity of technology-based interventions to enhance health and welfare


Why do we need international HWT research webinars?

Health and welfare technology (HWT) is a relatively new research area and requires shifting mindsets from traditional methods and ways of conducting research. It is not about competition. It is about collaborations, mutual learning and co-production of scientific knowledge. Thus, no single scientist can do it alone! HWT research requires broad collaborations of multi-professional and multidisciplinary scientific teams across public and private sectors.

Aim: To increase research capacity in health and welfare technology and get inspired by the international research.

We define health and welfare technology as “a technology-based intervention that aims at; maintaining or promoting health, wellbeing, quality of life and/or increasing efficiency in the service delivery system of welfare, social and health care services, while improving working conditions of the staff.” Quality of life here has a multidimensional conceptual approach that includes four broad health dimensions of health (physical health, mental health, social health and functional health). (Aaronson NK, 1998).

This is a place for you to get access to updates on health and welfare technology research, share, learn, get inspired and connect with scientists from different parts of the world!

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