Project »Neighborhood Diagnostics«

Project description

The lack of doctors and therefore also access to medical diagnostics in rural areas is a serious problem in our society. Fast and/or regular and up-to-date medical care for acutely or chronically ill patients is therefore often associated with great expense for those affected. In the worst cases, health problems are not recognized early enough, leading to complications that could have been prevented with timely intervention. Adequate telemedical digital care for these patients often fails due to the availability of the diagnostics required for informed medical decision-making.

To meet these challenges, an open digital ecosystem is being developed in the Neighborhood Diagnostics (ND) project. The focus is on the simple and patient-oriented multimodal recording of health status based on an app for patients that networks various existing and commercially used wearables (e.g., smart watches) and home monitoring devices (e.g., smart blood pressure monitors). This integration will facilitate real-time health monitoring and improve the quality of data available for healthcare providers.

In addition, a digital marketplace for health-related services will make healthcare more accessible and enable patients to easily find and utilize necessary resources, such as teleconsultations, specialized care, and wellness programs. This approach not only empowers patients by placing them at the center of their healthcare journey but also fosters collaboration among healthcare providers, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive and coordinated care.

The project pools the expertise of the three institutes Fraunhofer IESE, Fraunhofer IZI, and Fraunhofer IZI-BB. By leveraging their combined knowledge in technology, medical science, and user-centered design, the ND project aims to create a robust platform that addresses the pressing healthcare needs of rural populations while setting a standard for future telemedical innovations.

Contribution to the mission of the Fraunhofer-Center for Digital Diagnostics

Healthcare in rural areas is one of the center's main topics. The Neighborhood Diagnostics project aims to use a digital ecosystem to enable modern, cost-efficient healthcare in rural areas.

Vision, advantages and potential industrial benefits

The vision of the “Neighborhood Diagnostics” project is to enable highly digital and fully integrated healthcare in rural regions and to record the health status of patients in a multimodal, patient-oriented, and decentralized manner. This approach aims to facilitate preventive and acute medical appointments, diagnoses, and follow-up checks based on a sound database. The central element is the ND platform, which acts as an intermediary between the individuals receiving care, analyzing services, and treating service providers, while guaranteeing a high level of data protection.

This platform is supplemented by an intuitive app for patients, allowing them to easily track their health metrics and communicate effectively with healthcare providers. Additionally, visualization tools for patient data will equip medical professionals with comprehensive insights, enabling them to make informed decisions quickly and efficiently.

Furthermore, a marketplace for health-related services will enhance accessibility, allowing patients to find and utilize various medical resources, such as teleconsultations, wellness programs, and specialized treatments. This holistic approach not only empowers patients but also fosters collaboration among healthcare providers, ensuring a coordinated care experience.

To ensure that the solutions developed are actively and sustainably utilized, testing will take place in partner communities, accompanied by thorough acceptance research. This phase will focus on gathering feedback from both patients and healthcare providers to refine the platform and its components, ensuring that it meets the real-world needs of its users. By incorporating this feedback loop, the project aims to create a robust and adaptable healthcare ecosystem that can evolve with the changing needs of rural populations. Ultimately, the goal is to bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility and quality, setting a new standard for integrated health solutions in underserved areas.