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What did we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the use of digital technology in healthcare?

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Come and participate on August 29-30 at the international conference on “Digital Health Beyond Covid-19: Lessons Learned” at Aalborg University (AAU) in Copenhagen.

The final program is now complete and available here.

You can register for the conference here no later than August 8.

There will be more than 40 exciting presentations from over 10 different countries. The conference is organized by the Transatlantic Telehealth Research Network (TTRN), International Society of Telemedicine & eHealth and AAU. Thanks to the Novo Nordisk Foundation for supporting the conference.

We hope to see you at the conference.

Worlds eldest application developer visited Aalborg University

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We are honored that Ms. Masako Wakamiya from Japan today visited Laboratory for Welfare Technology – Digital Health & Rehabilitation, Aalborg University.

Ms. Masako Wakamiya at AAU

Ms Wakamiya is 87 years old and started getting IT knowledge/skills in the late 50s and has become IT evangelist. She is known as the oldest application developer in the world, and because of it, she was invited to WWDC by Tim Cook, CEO, Apple in 2017. When Tim Cook visited Japan, she met him upon his request. Furthermore, she had a talk show with Audrey Tang, IT Minister of Taiwan last year. She has a broad network also in Japan and been respected by the staff of Digital Agency and other IT related agencies/sections in Japan.

Ms. Wakamiya is in Denmark this week exploring how elderly persons use digital services in Denmark and how we deal with digital inclusion in practice. We had a fruitful discussion.

Ms Wakamiya also had a visit at Lundbygades Nursing home in Aalborg Municipality today.

Visit from Japan

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Today Laboratory for Welfare Technology – Digital Health & Rehabilitation, AAU and JD TeleTech had visitors: Anne-Marie Thoft, Invest in Denmark; Masaki Teraoka, the Royal Danish Embassy in Tokyo and Akihiro Sakurai, KMD (DNP), Yusuke Matsuura, DNP; Mika Yasuoka-Jensen, RUC; Mao Uchida Japannordic and team.

We discussed the new digitalization strategi in Denmark within digital health and research collaboration possibilities within digital health between Denmark and Japan.

So nice to be able to meet in persons again.

New publication on the use of video games for cardiac rehabilitation

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NEW PUBLIKATION – Together with Japanese cardiologist I have the following paper published:

The Potential Application of Commercially Available Active Video Games to Cardiac Rehabilitation: Scoping Review

Background

Commercially available active video games (AVGs) have recently been used for rehabilitation in some specific patient populations but rarely in those with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Commercially available AVGs are designed to increase motivation for continuous play, which could be applicable to the long-term cardiac rehabilitation process.

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of AVG-induced physical exercise, safety management, and patient adherence by applying commercially available AVGs to cardiac rehabilitation.

Methods

Scoping review

Results

Among 120 nonduplicate articles reviewed, 5 (4.2%) were eligible for inclusion, of which 3 (2.5%) were reported by the same research group. The AVG consoles used were Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Wii, and sports-related programs were adopted for the intervention. No adverse cardiac events occurred in the identified studies, and dropout rates tended to be low.

Conclusions

AVGs appear to be safe and feasible for promoting an active lifestyle in patients with CVD. However, the effectiveness of AVGs alone as a therapeutic exercise to improve physical function may be limited.

Link to publication

International conference: Digital Health Beyond Covid-19: Lessons Learned, August 29-30, 2022

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TTRN-CPH2022, International conference: Digital Health Beyond Covid-19 - Lessons Learned; Copenhagen August 29-30, 2022

Aims of conference

  • To present and share experiences on research on implementation of the newest digital health technologies and services in the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • To identify, communicate and compare lessons learned on digital health beyond COVID-19
  • To identify knowledge gaps and challenges for further research within digital health beyond the pandemic
  • To identify potential opportunities for exchange of knowledge and research collaboration in the field of digital health
  • To provide younger researchers within digital health the opportunity to present their work to a broad range of international scholars and colleagues

Follow this link for further information on program, invitation & call for abstract and posters, grants for younger researchers and more…

Invitation to webinar, Dec. 16th: “New Horizons for Digital Health & Future Technologies”

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Invitation to webinar:

New Horizons for Digital Health & Future Technologies

How can Japanese and Asian companies and researchers benefit from the Nordic frontrunners

Time: December 16, 2021 at 10.00 am – 11.30 am (CET) / 18.00 – 19.30 (JST).

The aim of the webinar is to facilitate cooperation between Japan and Denmark within Digital Health.

See the program here. It is free to participate.

Registration at this link.

The webinar is organized in collaboration between Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Invest in Denmark, Danish Embassy Deloitte, Japan and JD TeleTech Network.

New publication on telerehabilitation of heart failure patients

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Effects of Telerehabilitation Interventions on Heart Failure Management (2015-2020): Scoping Review by Schacksen et al 2021 in JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol 2021;8(4):e29714.

The paper has been written in close collaboration with researchers from the Future Patient Project and Jutendo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Objective

The aim of this scoping review was to assess the effects of telerehabilitation in the management of heart failure by systematically reviewing the available scientific literature within the period from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020.

Conclusions

It was found that there is a tendency toward improvement in patients’ quality of life and physical capacity when telerehabilitation was used in heart failure management. The outcome measures of depression, anxiety, and adherence to the intervention were found to be positive. Additional research is needed to determine more precise and robust effects of telerehabilitation.

Online lecture on Danish Healthcare system and telehealth

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Sct Luke 20210909

Thursday September 9, 2021 professor Birthe Dinesen gave an online lecture on the Danish Healthcare system and telehealth in Denmark for Master students and Phd students at Sct Lukes International Hospital in Tokyo.

The students had also prepared a lectures on the Japanese Healthcare system. It was a very fruitful session with good discussions.

The social robot LOVOT has become a media darling

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LOVOTs

The LOVOT project (the social robots) has been presented on nationally and regional TV during the last week:

The LOVOT project has in the past week been mentioned on 62 other Danish media as can be seen here.

It is great to see that there is interest in our research here at the Laboratory for Welfare Technology at AAU. We thank Groove X, Japan for lending us the LOVOTs, many thanks to the municipalities of Aalborg, Viborg and Skive and TUCV for their dedicated participation in the experiment. The National Board of Health has supported the project financially and thank you for this.

New publication: Use of Orihime

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Collaboration between master students in Clinical Science and Technology, AAU, Aalborg Municipality & Ory Lab, Japan:

The telepresence avatar robot OriHime as a communication tool for adults with acquired brain injury: an ethnographic case study

OriHime

We conducted an exploratory ethnographic case study, applying the framework ‘community of practice.’ The intervention consisted of sessions where ABI patients at home interacted with a member from Aalborg Rehabilitation Club using OriHime. Data collection consisted of documentary materials, participant observations and semi-structured interviews.

Findings: The patients at home found nonverbal communication valuable, while the members at the rehabilitation center felt that OriHime lacked human features and preferred direct verbal communication. The technology facilitated a feeling of being a part of a community of practice between the participants, and it motivated the patients at home to participate in the rehabilitating activities at the center.

Reference: Vikkelsø, S., Hoang, T-H., Carrara, F., Hansen, K. D., & Dinesen, B. (2020). The telepresence avatar robot OriHime as a communication tool for adults with acquired brain injury: an ethnographic case study. Intelligent Service Robotics.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11370-020-00335-6