4 minute read
FROM RESEARCH TO USE: E-HEALTH IN POLAND
FACULTY WORLDWIDE
In 2020, KU Leuven stepped into an ambitious European project on the use of digital technologies based on Artificial Intelligence in the health sector. REINITIALISE investigates how fundamental human rights may be safeguarded in the growing number of e-health services. Work is ongoing at the Marie Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin to translate the research to stakeholders in professional practice. Greet Bilsen, valorisation coordinator of the Leuven Centre of Information & Communication Technology on ICT and Marc Van Aken, lecturer on KU Leuven-Group T Campus, tell the story.
Digital technologies using AI are opening the doors to unseen opportunities and applications”, Greet says. “At the same time, their growing impact also poses a real threat to fundamental human rights such as privacy, data ownership, etc. The REINITIALISE project - funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Twinning Programme - aims precisely to bring together the knowledge and expertise needed to develop and implement digital applications that are compatible with ethical principles.”
Three years ago, Marie Curie-Sklodowska University (UMSC) engaged KU Leuven and the University of Macerata and the organisation Eurocentro in Italy to take up the challenge. “For practical reasons, it was agreed to focus on two subdomains in e-health: technologies for active ageing and digital tools for prevention care in nutrition and dietetics,” Greet continues. “In a first phase, Belgian, Italian and Polish researchers brought together a bunch of research results in an interactive knowledge platform via staff exchanges and symposiums. Phase 2 is currently in progress: the transfer of this knowledge to health professionals in various organisations with a view to the co-creation of concrete products and services.”
Raising awareness
November 2022 kicked off in Lublin with a Winter School in Innovation for Polish researchers and local stakeholders. They attended seminars on entrepreneurship, internal and external communication and other social skills that contribute to smooth cooperation with people outside your familiar environment. “More than training per se, we emphasise sensitisation,” Marc clarifies. “Our main goal is to create an open mindset among Polish researchers that is set up to share results with relevant audiences. Knowledge transfer should become their second nature. The translation to professional practice stands or falls with such attitude. By focusing on awareness-raising, we want to create a more sustainable impact. That way, once the project ends, it will be possible to continue along the same path.”
Research lines
Other components of the second phase are showcase events of successful Belgian and Italian cooperation experiences and partnerships and a venture lab in which researchers and stakeholders in the health sector work together. The work package ‘Boosting Innovation Capacity’ contains five research lines in which the researchers prepare cooperation agreements with local stakeholders.
“The themes cover a wide area of e-health services,” explains Greet. “From electroencephalography assessing the effect of rehabilitation to patient centred support for people with autism. Given the increasingly ageing population, the elderly are an important target group. Since many older adults have little or no familiarity with smartphones and apps, a research line is looking into developing appropriate training on e-health tools. In the same direction is the health-related e-media communication to hard-to-reach target groups such as people with disabilities or a migration background. In turn, the fifth line of research is relevant to everyone: first aid in the digital age. This involves rethinking campaigns and training on first aid in accidents.”
Startup
Marc is already looking beyond. From the project, he already sees innovative business ideas and even startups emerging jointly developed by researchers and stakeholders. “The first is already in the pipeline: a digital voice assistant, entirely in line with ethical standards and privacy protection.”
Yves Persoons
www.reinitialise.eu
