Ehealth in practice

Healthcare is becoming more complex whereas availability of care personnel is decreasing. eHealth can sometimes offer respite. The Louis Bolk Institute focuses on the implementation and evaluation of eHealth in practice. Our researchers investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of eHealth-solutions in the busy reality of health care. We map needs, barriers and facilitators of implementation. Our vision is that eHealth-implementation should provide obvious added value for the end-users so that caregivers could increase their time and capacity to provide better patient-centred care. 

Implementation and monitoring of video calling and eHealth in practice

In our eHealth projects we collaborate with care homes, municipalities, and companies who would like to implement eHealth solutions in their organisations. 

Implementation of video-calling for cognitively frail older adults in assisted living 

Together with the residential care home Mennistenerf Pennemes Combination, we have mapped the needs, barriers and facilitators of implementing video calling for the residents  to combat loneliness during the COVID-19 lockdown. By working with a simplified system of Genus Care (a telehealth device especially designed for elderly with dementia) and a personal approach, establishing video calling was quite feasible for most residents. This was also feasible for residents with minor cognitive limitations or impaired motor skills. Even when they could not use normal devices like smartphone and tablets.  Next, we are developing an implementation-trajectory to implement video calling in care homes in general. 

This research is executed by researchers of the Louis Bolk Institute in collaboration with care organisations Mennistenerf Pennemes Combination and Genus Care, and funded by ZonMW (COVID-19 call ‘Science in Practice’).