Smart Community and HealthÂ
Smart Community and Health
This module will introduce the current challenges to the health systems. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has further challenged the healthcare systems, already proven by demographic changes resulting in an ageing society and an increase in the fragility of citizens. One of the main determinants to face these challenges is the environment in which individuals live. Therefore, the concept of a smart city is fundamental to exploit the capabilities of the community by improving networks and opportunities for formal and informal communication, as well as providing services close to citizens and overturning the current concept of hospital-centred care in anew one aimed at to provide health services and preventive medicine at home (on the territory) with the active involvement of the citizen and the community. Information and communication technology (ICT) can act both on the community, providing new forms of communication and interaction, and on the environment by creating new assistance tools. E-Health / smart-Health (ICT application to health services) can therefore constitute the enabling technology necessary to support the coming revolution of health systems, providing improved epidemiological models for preventive medicine, tools for remote diagnosis, and assistance, smart homes to guarantee autonomy and dignity for the fragile individual.