Funded Projects 2014-2020

Project SenDOC

Project Acronym	SenDOC
Project Title	Smart sENsor Devices fOr rehabilitation and Connected health
Project subsite	Sendoc

Summary

The aim of SENDoc is to introduce the use of wearable sensor systems in ageing communities in northern remote areas. These sensors can measure mobility, strength, balance, and also wellbeing, exercise, and safety, and have the potential to support in dependent living.

SENDoc will assess the technical, clinical and social acceptability of early stage, and market-ready wearable technologies and their impact on patients, on health and care delivery, and on rural communities.

SENDoc will focus on changing existing rehabilitation programmes. It will transfer research and development in wearable systems, apply connected healthcare concepts, put in place community networks, create platforms where data and experiences can be shared and supported, capture data through innovative sensor wearable software systems, measure impact on health, test technical and social acceptability, and test the functionality in cold climate conditions.

Work packages will explore current knowledge and best practices, will define, install and refine wearable sensor systems, will implement the four rehabilitation demonstrator projects, and propose a new healthcare service delivery model - a transnational home-based rehabilitation service delivery model, which will be generalizable, sustainable, and of use beyond the current partnership. These technologies have long term implications for every older person living in the northern periphery, particularly women, who form a disproportionate element of the rural eldery. This strong partnership brings together technicians, clinicians, associated expert and service providers to engage with patients, citizens and communities to address this challenge.

Objectives

1. Assessing acceptability of wearable sensors: SENDoc will assess technical, clinical and social acceptability of early stage wearable sensors by measuring their impact on patients health, clinicians, health service delivery and rural communities. Focus groups will facilitate feedback from communities

2. Translating innovative technology into practice: SENDoc will translate and demonstrate recent R&D on wearable sensors. Sensors will be tested to establish whether they can measure mobility, strength, balance, wellbeing, exercise, and safety in the rural elderly populations in four demonstrator sites.

3. Designing a service delivery model: SENDoc will draw on results to design an transferable and adaptable rehabilitation service delivery model for ageing rural populations, taking into account the potential benefits, and risks, of introducing this technology at scale in rural areas.

Impacts

Tangible

Improved access to services:	Telehealth solutions, wearable technology, and sensors, can improve access to care for people living in remote areas and support elderly people´ independent living SenDOC has tested whether wearable sensors such as Movesole insoles, or the sensor-based glove could be used to bridge the gaps in clinical care. Based on its studies, the project developed two models for home-based rehabilitation service delivery. One is showing how the traditional rehabilitation programme could be delivered using wearable sensors, and the second shows how the need for rehabilitation intervention can be delayed/mitigated by using wearable sensors in the daily life.

Improved access to services:

Telehealth solutions, wearable technology, and sensors, can improve access to care for people living in remote areas and support elderly people´ independent living SenDOC has tested whether wearable sensors such as Movesole insoles, or the sensor-based glove could be used to bridge the gaps in clinical care. Based on its studies, the project developed two models for home-based rehabilitation service delivery. One is showing how the traditional rehabilitation programme could be delivered using wearable sensors, and the second shows how the need for rehabilitation intervention can be delayed/mitigated by using wearable sensors in the daily life.

Intangible

Building institutional capacity:	The project has cooperated with healthcare organisations/providers within the NPA, that had different knowledge and experience with wearable sensor systems. Some aspects of the wearable technology were novelties for partners, such as using the wearable technology to monitor Parkinson´s Disease. Karelia University of Applied Sciences has in January 2022 opened a 30 credit module entitled „Remote Therapy Expert“ for all rehabilitation professionals (linked text in Finnish).
Raising awareness:	SenDOC has engaged with 863 organisations/agencies/bodies over the duration of the project, and reached over 69.800 members of the public. Its workshops, conferences, publications, events, and demonstration projects helped to raise awareness about the application of technology for remote healthcare within elderly populations.

Building institutional capacity:

The project has cooperated with healthcare organisations/providers within the NPA, that had different knowledge and experience with wearable sensor systems. Some aspects of the wearable technology were novelties for partners, such as using the wearable technology to monitor Parkinson´s Disease. Karelia University of Applied Sciences has in January 2022 opened a 30 credit module entitled „Remote Therapy Expert“ for all rehabilitation professionals (linked text in Finnish).

Raising awareness:

SenDOC has engaged with 863 organisations/agencies/bodies over the duration of the project, and reached over 69.800 members of the public. Its workshops, conferences, publications, events, and demonstration projects helped to raise awareness about the application of technology for remote healthcare within elderly populations.

Lead Partner

Ulster University, Newtownabbey
Northern Ireland
Prof. Joan Condell
phone +447955813249
e-mail: j.condell@ulster.ac.uk

Partners

Project Info

Theme
Emergency, natural disasters, risk prevention, health

Priority
1 Innovation

Objective
1.2 Increased innovation in public service provision

Project duration
31-08-17 to 30-08-20

Total budget
1 904 785 EUR

NPA co-financing
1 238 110 EUR

Target groups
local public authority
infrastructure and (public) service provider
regional public authority
national public authority
higher education and research
General public
enterprise, including SME
education/training centre and school
sectoral agency

Joint Secretariat Desk Officer
Rachel Burn