About

Center for eHealth Research (CER) Faculty of Behavioural Sciences

·	The University of Twente (UT) aims to play a key role in eHealth research and education, both regionally and (inter)nationally. By not only bridging the Health and Food Valley and Technology, the UT also seeks to put the East of the Netherlands strongly on the map.

As of May 20, 2008, the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences of the University of Twente has launched the Center for eHealth Research (CER) for the purpose of eHealth research and promoting the transfer of knowledge in this domain. Falling under the Institute for Behavioural Research, the Center for eHealth Research is thus embedded in the high-quality infrastructure of knowledge of the University of Twente.

The Center’s purpose is to collate and cluster structural knowledge of the effects of high-quality technology (clever, elegant and emotionally satisfying) and to map the technological facilities to support the (care) professionals. With PhD-students and scientists of the University of Twente conducting multidisciplinary and applied research, knowledge will be acquired to actively enable the structural implementation of technological innovations in the care domain and to translate effects into practical advice and guidelines for the care technology. The high-quality knowledge of the effects of technological innovations in the care domain will be applied to the creation of competence profiles and e-learning modules for (care) professionals and in user-friendly self-care applications for patients/clients.

The Center’s objectives:

·	To share knowledge in collaboration with partners in the field about social and behavioural scientific aspects of implementation of technology in the care domain.

·	To cluster knowledge collated in practice to (re)design implementation strategies of care technologies.

To translate knowledge for trade and industry into useful (care) applications, in the shape of concepts for (re)designing and implementing technology (e-consultation, e-coaching, disease management). Concepts can be tested in living labs (observation of behaviour and quality of life in homes equipped with technology) in collaboration with international innovation centers (Eysenbach, Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, Toronto), Regional Training Centers (ROC’s), colleges of higher education and small- and medium-sized businesses (MKB).

·	To intensify structural collaboration between the University of Twente, centers of knowledge and care institutions (network projects and knowledge diffusion projects).

·	To promote collaboration in the (care) chain (self-care continuum; cooperation between the 0, 1st and 2nd line).

·	To disseminate knowledge via conferences, symposia, workshops and publications. Views and developments concerning the role of information and communication technology in health care will be disseminated internationally through the contacts with international eHealth research institutes.

Through the research to be conducted, determinants will be specified for a successful deployment of technology to optimize the care from the perspective of both the users (clients/patients) and the professionals (care and ICT). The research is both multidisciplinary (behavioural scientists and technologists) and applied, and aimed at (re)designing and implementing interactive, clever but simple technology. Under scrutiny will be the effects of technology on care (care management) and on users (state of well-being; relationship between patient and caregiver). Questions to be addressed are:

·	How can clients/patients function independently for longer at home and what is the added benefit of technology in this?

·	How can a patient/client be optimally treated by various institutions at a time, whereby the transfer of information between them occurs automatically, without privacy regulations being violated?

·	How can professionals (on the cutting edge of technology and care) be prepared to offer care via technology?

·	How can care demands and needs be translated into simple, user-friendly technology?

·	How can technology in the care domain be implemented effectively and efficiently?

By conducting feasibility studies (HTA-scans), pilot projects, applied and evaluation research in care institutions, knowledge will be collated which can contribute to the design of the care process and to the harmonization of technology with its users. The aim is to collate and test concepts in living labs.

In a research team of representatives of the designers of technology, the care organization, the project coordination, the patients/clients and scientists, the research findings will be discussed and translated into concepts and products for technological design and implementation; likewise the valorisation of the findings through care innovation circles (participation by scientists and practical experts). This will also allow insight into the costs and benefits of the technology.