ECWT conference evidenced the importance and broadness of Welfare Technology
A group of welfare technology experts from different institutions gathered on the 4th of May 2023 in an international conference in Seinäjoki under the title Welfare Technology for increasing efficiency in treatment. The conference was organized by Vocational and Training Institute Sedu and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK) who are members of The European Community of Welfare Technology (ECWT). Along with clarifying the utilization of welfare technology in the area, one of the main goals of the conference was to find out the needs for education in the future.
A group of welfare technology experts from different institutions gathered on the 4th of May 2023 in an international conference in Seinäjoki under the title Welfare Technology for increasing efficiency in treatment. The conference was organized by Vocational and Training Institute Sedu and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK) who are members of The European Community of Welfare Technology (ECWT). Along with clarifying the utilization of welfare technology in the area, one of the main goals of the conference was to find out the needs for education in the future.
The conference was started by Professor Mark van Gils from Tampere University. He pointed out that the actual uptake of AI/ML in healthcare is much slower than in other fields.
– Continuous interaction between different health care experts is important. In order to assure that we are really fulfilling a need is to involve persons who have a vested interest in improving their current workflow and get value out of new technological solutions. That may include clinicians and patients as well as family.
Professor van Gils also reminded that humans are still needed. – It is not likely or desirable that computers will replace doctors and nurses.
She said to me with a high level of emotion: “I thought I’m never going to Thailand anymore”.
Hanna Lindberg, Project Coordinator, Sedu
Welfare technology in use
Teemu Reinilä, Project Developer of IkäKoti project in Wellbeing Services County of South Ostrobothnia, brought up the statistics of Finnish population and the drastically growing amount of elderly people. The aim of IkäKoti project is to ensure that everyone receives the same service equally and easily.
Reinilä introduced the audience to different, fascinating ways technology is used in elderly care in South Ostrobothnia. More commonly used solutions are safety phones, dose dispensing, software robotics/ artificial intelligence, shopping applications and remote consultations.
– The use of mobile applications allow real-time recording of patient information and nursing procedures, improving the speed and accuracy of information flow.
Hanna Lindberg, Project Coordinator from Sedu, told about the achievements of UuTe SoTe project. The main goal of the project is to accelerate the digitalization and recovery from the corona pandemic.
– The shortage of staff makes maintaining the level of service more and more challenging, and the increase in costs must be curbed. Digital tools and process development and innovation are needed.
– Usually people think that technology will take jobs. We’re also basically trying to develop more jobs in healthcare field. Welfare technology means more jobs in technology and industry, which therefore means more jobs in healthcare, in maintenance, admin roles, for specialists and designers.
Lindberg introduced the audience to the technology they had acquired including interactive sensory room, mobile wagons, XR glasses and care robotics.
– The sensory room includes VR-glasses, power stone, sound pillow and a relaxing mattress together with a curved LED-screen or a smaller touchscreen plus a software. The room has many possibilities of use but is used mainly for relaxing.
Lindberg told a touching story about a hundred-year-old woman testing the VR-glasses a while ago. – She said to me with a high level of emotion: “I thought I’m never going to Thailand anymore”.
Artificial intelligence systems are a big part of the future of healthcare work.
Teemu Reinilä, Project Developer, Wellbeing Services County of South Ostrobothnia
Welfare technology in education
Lindberg’s project effects education, as well.
– The project will develop a modern digital learning environment for Sedu.
Anna-Liisa Leikas, Jussi Väliniemi and Marja-Terttu Viitala, teachers in Sedu, told about the ways welfare technology skills are already taught in Sedu.
– The first year students know how to provide guidance in the use and maintenance of assistive aids and welfare technology. The second and third year students will learn how to also manage the purchases of these aids and devices, maintain their competence related to welfare technology and use the potential of technology in their work as team members. Furthermore, they will be able to guide clients in using wellbeing technology to improve their wellbeing and health, and take the benefits, limitations and risks of technology into account in their work.
– Ethical dilemmas are a very important part of this. We go through them as well, Viitala points out.
Sami Perälä, Development Manager of SeAMK, told about the eight categories in which wellbeing technology is used in SeAMK.
– The education includes more and more simulation classes and students have an opportunity to use the technologies and facilities of the Wellbeing Labs environments for practical activities.
Teemu Reinilä had a list of expectations for future healthcare professionals.
– There are common things like stress tolerance and recovery skills, collaboration and development skills and willingness to develop. When it comes to technology, future professionals should have preliminary IT skills in hardware and software but it’s also good to know how to use artificial intelligence. People should have open-mindedness towards technology and the understanding of the basics of technology.
Reinilä ended his presentation by saying that artificial intelligence systems are a big part of the future of healthcare work.
Annual conference to support the goals of ECWT
The successful event was the first conference organized by the ECWT network.
– ECWT is a consortium of preferred partners consisting of education providers and stakeholders within health care and welfare technology.
– The goal of the international ECWT network is to develop welfare technology training to meet the needs of working life, one of the Conference organizers, International Affairs Specialist Timo Paakkanen from Sedu told.
– To support this goal, an annual ECWT conference is organized, with a changing organizer. That is to say – we shall meet in the ECWT Conference in Kouvola next year, hosted by Eduko, Paakkanen concludes.
The conference attendants had the possibility to get acquainted with welfare technology in the stands of welfare technology companies like AddSecure, Everon and Suvanto Care, and educational institutions.