Chalmers University of Technology coordinates unique initiative with four university hospitals and one healthcare region.
When healthcare moves home, new ways of collaborating are needed. In a new Nordic initiative, Chalmers University of Technology is supporting and strengthening the collaboration between four leading university hospitals – Sahlgrenska, Karolinska, Skåne and Oslo – and Region Jämtland Härjedalen, together with medtech companies and patient organisations, to shape the future of hospital care at home.
A growing number of patients are now receiving advanced care in their own homes – a development that can improve both accessibility and patient satisfaction, while also relieving the burden on hospitals. But for hospital care at home to work in practice, joint working methods, effective technical solutions and customised guidelines are needed.
Hospital care at home, or Hospital at Home as it is called internationally, means that patients who would otherwise be admitted to hospital receive treatment and monitoring in their own homes. Mobile care teams make home visits, follow up digitally and use medical technology that enables safe and secure care outside the hospital walls. The model is growing rapidly internationally but requires new ways of organising and managing care efforts.
“By bringing together healthcare, academia, medtech companies and patients we want to create a shared understanding of what is required for hospital care at home to work effectively,” says Andreas Hellström, project leader and senior lecturer at the Department of Technology Management and Economics at Chalmers University of Technology.
Leading hospitals share their experiences of care in the home
All participating university hospitals and the region in the project have experience of working with or developing their own models for hospital care at home. Bringing these initiatives together creates a unique opportunity to share knowledge and drive further development – both in Sweden and across the Nordic region.
Two organisations that have already come far in this work are Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Oslo University Hospital. Both have established services and are actively contributing to driving the development of future home-based care.
"We are very pleased that we can now strengthen our ongoing Nordic collaboration on developing and enhancing specialist care in the home, with Chalmers and other partners in this project. We have very positive experiences from collaboration with Chalmers on various regional healthcare development efforts, and it will be exciting to expand this to a Nordic context,” says Peter Almgren, chief physician and project manager at Sahlgrenska at Home and regional process manager for home healthcare at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
“At Oslo University Hospital we have strong confidence in collaboration, including across national borders – especially here in the Nordic region. There are many similarities, but also important differences, in how the Nordic countries organise their healthcare systems and there is clearly a lot to learn from each other. The fact that research is now being integrated into this collaboration adds further strength to our focus on specialist care in the home," says Elisabeth Dreier Sørvik, Head of OUS Hjemme, Oslo University Hospital's initiative for home hospitals and digital follow-up.
Building on experiences from western Sweden
The project “Collaboration for hospital care at home – for a coordinated and effective implementation” is funded by the strategic innovation program Medtech4Health via Vinnova and builds on experiences from a Medtech4Health project led by Chalmers, which is now nearing completion. Sahlgrenska University Hospital has played a central role in that project, including through the development of the “Sahlgrenska at Home” initiative – their model for hospital care at home. The new project takes the next step towards national and Nordic implementation, with a particular focus on frameworks, organisation and patient perspective.
"With a rapidly aging population, the Nordic region is facing a necessary shift in how we organise advanced care. Hospital care at home is the next large transition in Nordic healthcare, not as a shortcut, but as a smarter use of resources where patients also often experience increased security as a positive side effect. Medical technology is crucial in making this possible, which is why this Nordic initiative is so important," says Lena Strömberg, Program Director at Medtech4Health.
“Moving healthcare into the home is not just about new ways of working but about changing the very logic of how healthcare is organised. It requires systems thinking, collaboration and technology that works in people’s everyday lives. Our Swedish and Nordic conditions, with strong public healthcare systems and a tradition of collaboration, provide good opportunities to develop models that build on these strengths,” says Andreas Hellström.
About the project “Collaboration for hospital care at home – for a coordinated and effective implementation”
The project “Collaboration for hospital care at home – for a coordinated and effective implementation” brings together a broad partnership across organisational boundaries. Four major university hospitals are participating: Sahlgrenska, Karolinska, Skåne and Oslo. To reflect different geographical and demographic conditions, Region Jämtland Härjedalen is also participating. Technology providers are represented by Cambio and ImagineCare, while the patient perspective is ensured through the participation of SPF Seniorerna (The Swedish Association for Senior Citizens), Riksförbundet HjärtLung (The Swedish Heart and Lung Association), Anhörigas Riksförbund, EUPATI Sverige, and Kraftens Hus, among others. Research partners include Chalmers University of Technology, Linköping University, and University West, with additional innovation support from the Innovation Platform in the Region Västra Götaland.
The initiative is made possible through funding from Medtech4Health – Sweden's national innovation program within medical technology, which has long worked to strengthen the implementation of hospital care at home – via Vinnova.
About Medtech4Health
Medtech4Health is Sweden's national strategic innovation program within medical technology. By bringing together healthcare, academia, industry and patients, the program accelerates the development and implementation of medical technology solutions that create tangible patient benefits and strengthen Swedish competitiveness. Since its inception, Medtech4Health has funded over 450 projects and helped to highlight innovations that are changing the way healthcare is delivered – from advanced diagnostics to hospital care at home. The program is funded by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency and Formas. www.medtech4health.se
Photo
Andreas Hellström, Chalmers University of Technology
Photographer: Carolina Pires Bertuol
Peter Almgren, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Photographer: Paul Björkman
Elisabeth Dreier Sørvik, Oslo University Hospital
Photographer: Private
- Senior Lecturer, Innovation and R&D Management, Technology Management and Economics
