Internet of Things: “The technology is not the problem”

IoT solutions in health and social care have untapped potential.

In ten years’ time, the number of 80-year-olds in Sweden will have increased by fifty percent, while the number of people of working age will only increase by a few percent. This demographic development is a challenge for the health and social care sector in terms of coping with an increasing need for care from a smaller number of carers. This is also the starting point for a major collaborative project run by Uppsala University in collaboration with partners such as Dalarna University, Region Dalarna and several municipalities in Dalarna.

– We need to find new ways to continue delivering high-quality care even as the elderly population grows. In this project, we are investigating what is hindering and enabling implementation of IoT solutions in health and social care.

So says Klas Palm, PhD in Quality Sciences and researcher at the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering at Uppsala University. He is the project manager of “IoT Implementering” [IoT Implementation], a project funded by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency and Formas within the framework of the “IoT Sverige” [IoT Sweden] strategic innovation programme.

IoT solutions have untapped potential

The aim of the project is to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of IoT solutions. There are currently several well-developed IoT solutions for health and social care. One example is body-worn sensors that can transmit different types of metrics and signal to both the patient and their caregivers and relatives whether everything is in order. Other examples include security alarms and other types of connected monitoring in the home. So, there are well-developed welfare technology solutions on the market. Yet it is far from being used fully.

– There is a lot of untapped potential, but we do not believe that the technology itself is the problem. Rather, we believe it is a matter of other barriers, which are more structural, cultural and legal. In terms of legal barriers, IoT in health and social care often involves the collection of sensitive personal data, and this obviously needs to be processed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. But old laws are rarely adapted to new technology, says Klas Palm. 

Changes require new ways of working

Implementing new technology often means changing ways of working and perhaps even a new professional identity. It is a transition that must take place in an environment that is often very stressful and pressurised. Klas Palm has previously worked as an organisational consultant and has himself led several change processes. He knows that change is often perceived as stressful.

– People who have chosen a healthcare profession have often done so because they enjoy the care aspects. Now they suddenly have to manage technical systems, and that can be very difficult, he says. 

Cost sharing a sticking point

Another obstacle the project will explore is cost-sharing principles, i.e. who should pay for new technology solutions. It is a well-known sticking point that often puts a spanner in the works. It can be difficult to make cost priorities work within an organisation, and much more difficult when collaborating across organisational boundaries. Many good projects have fallen down when it comes to the question of who should pay, according to Klas Palm. 

The whole project is based on collaboration between public actors, industry and academia. The research is practice-oriented, which means that the IoT solutions will be tested with people in various homes in the municipalities of Rättvik and Falun. Klas Palm:

– We conduct what is known as action research, which means that academia, together with industry and society, is actually involved in influencing and creating change.

Empirical study of IoT solutions

Before the testing starts, an empirical study of different types of IoT solutions will be conducted. The project will interview other projects that are already implementing different IoT solutions in society. The project will be assisted in this by the strategic innovation programme “IoT Sverige”.

– There are many exciting projects all over Sweden. We will conduct interviews and find out what the different projects experience as obstacles and opportunities for their particular IoT implementation, says Klas Palm.

An important part of the overall objectives is then to disseminate the knowledge gained nationally. The implementation of IoT in health and social care is something that many Swedish municipalities and regions are struggling with. The “IoT Implementering” project will run until April 2024.