“Interesting,” “good networking,” “helpful exchange,” “diverse,” “good suggestions,” “very successful”... Many of the participants praised the VAPiAR closing event, which took place on March 6, 2024, in Plön.

With over 40 people from the nursing and healthcare sector and many interested parties from other industries, the VAPiAR project team presented the results, findings, successes, and challenges of the project, which will end in April 2024 after three years, in the attractive surroundings of the Wittmoldt estate.

The event was moderated by Heike Herma Thomsen (ILAG), who guided the speakers and guests through the program with digital support from her colleague Miriam Diesel (ILAG). Ms. Thomsen gave an overview of the day's program and highlighted the different perspectives that had been developed during the project. She then introduced the entire project team and highlighted the funding provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which is particularly important for structurally weak regions in order to drive new developments forward.

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Dr. Cathrin Becker from the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (PTKA) opened the event with a welcoming address. Ms. Becker began by explaining the Region.innovativ funding guideline for the technical classification of projects such as VAPiAR. She confirmed that VAPiAR had made a valuable contribution in the regional context by developing important ergonomic aspects, facilitating work processes for nursing professionals through care technologies, and making it possible to experience the Living Lab. She expressed confidence that the results of the project have contributed good approaches for future work design within the framework of sustainable cooperation and transfer. Finally, she pointed out further funding opportunities for SMEs and follow-up projects at the BMBF.

Dr. Michael Bau (ILAG) then presented the project results from an ergonomic perspective. He recalled the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and the severe impact of the nursing crisis and necessary restructuring in 2023. He thanked the nursing services for their commitment and the time they had devoted to conducting interviews, workshops with staff and managers, and implementing the measures developed during their busy working days. He pointed out the importance of workload analyses – ideally carried out on a regular basis – in times of increasing work intensity and stress as a result of digitalization. The theoretical and methodological approach for this is provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Act §5, in particular the paragraph on mental stress at work. He then presented typical results from the psychological stress analysis and the subsequent improvements in the work situation in the care services as a result of the analyses.

Kirsten Harms and Fynn Bredehorn (OFFIS e.V.) presented the Living Lab and the individual care technologies, which the attendees were also able to experience first-hand in a small technology exhibition: a sensor station for fall detection, an ergonomic analysis for recognizing the correct posture during care, voice documentation to facilitate the completion of forms, smart home networking, and a telepresence robot for communication and process automation. They demonstrated that there are also good, relatively simple technical aids available, using a lifting cushion to help a person who has fallen to stand up. Finally, they presented the results of the testing and evaluation of various technologies by the care services and also highlighted the obstacles and challenges posed by a lack of infrastructure, staff shortages and staff turnover, and budget constraints.

Christian Hansen from Laroma Manufaktur then clearly explained the various functions of the LAROMA care bed, from monitoring patients and alerting staff in critical situations to sleep, body, and movement analysis, which significantly reduce the workload for nursing staff. Participants were not only able to marvel at the care bed and its sensor modules on site and receive expert explanations from Christian Hansen and his colleague Karolina Ochs, but were also allowed to try it out for themselves.

The technical aspects were followed by a presentation by Niklas Ellerich-Groppe on the ethical and social aspects of technology use in outpatient care (ELSA). Niklas Ellerich-Groppe gave a comprehensive and lively presentation on the questions “What social and ethical aspects need to be considered in technology development, implementation, and use?” and “What is necessary to integrate these aspects into concrete practice in the best possible way and across the board?” He also explained the methodology used and made four recommendations based on the analysis: Domesticity must be valued and protected, and relational networks must be respected; human care must be understood as the benchmark for digital technology and, last but not least, structural conditions must also be created.

Jan Nagelfeld, deputy nursing manager at Diakonie Pflege zu Hause, also spoke about practical experience. The motivation for nursing services to participate in the VAPiAR project was, on the one hand, the question of “How can I make my nursing service fit for the future?” and, on the other hand, “How can nursing staff be relieved by minimizing the error rate in the areas of planning and structure?”

The initial situation at many care services includes a high workload due to paper documentation, communication problems caused by different handover books and teams, and poor networking with practices and pharmacies via fax and telephone only.

Mr. Nagelfeld confirmed that participation in the VAPiAR project had already made work much easier and that the project had therefore been a success. However, there is still much to be done, and one goal for the future is to continue driving digitalization forward until a fully digital patient file, a Care Pad (tablet) for all employees, and the implementation of further care technologies and the use of digital care beds are achieved.

Karen Wachholz (ILAG) concluded the varied morning with her presentation on cooperation between stakeholders and the Swiss model of interface communication. She reported on the VAPiAR approach of bringing together key stakeholders from the nursing and healthcare sectors in the region to engage in an “open dialogue” on important issues and problems and to jointly find solutions and new options for action. Several events were held on this topic, with growing public interest. Recommendations from this work included promoting digitization and connectivity to telematics, testing the compatibility and functionality of software, and providing further informal, financial, and personnel support. In addition, the participants expressed a desire for personal and regular exchanges in the future. Ideally, these should be continued by the interested stakeholders themselves after the end of the VAPIAR project.

After a long lunch break, which some of the guests used to take a walk around the estate, Lars Jessen gave an exciting presentation on the Danish and German healthcare systems and introduced collaborations with health insurance companies and

other partners from the care sector to provide inspiration for successful cooperation projects. He also presented DigiRehab and DigiCARE, an individual exercise program that is already widely used in Denmark. The exercise program, which can be completed at home, not only strengthens the physical abilities of seniors, but also increases their overall well-being and mobility.

DigiCARE offers nursing and care staff considerable physical and mental relief, and service providers receive a targeted and individualized health offering. Stephanie Wullf from the University of Hildesheim gave a detailed presentation on the “Onlinecampus Pflege” project for digital skills in nursing professions.

A changing world of work requires new skills, which is why there is a considerable need for qualifications in the competent use of digital technologies. The Onlinecampus Pflege project team has addressed this issue and created a continuing education program for professional caregivers and those who want to become caregivers. The online continuing education program, which consists of 30 short learning units called “Learning Nuggets,” is free of charge and can be booked via the project website. According to Ms. Wullf, the quantitative results of the project showed not only a significantly positive evaluation of the online modules, but also high usability and a further need for continuing education in terms of professional skills.

Frederik Denis, managing director of HowRyou, presented NEDINA@, a “smart all-in-one solution” for nursing assistants, in the last presentation of the day. This enables a close connection between care recipients, relatives, and nursing staff via a network of IoT devices, ensures at least digital proximity via video communication to counteract loneliness, and offers the possibility of integrating additional apps for digital participation. NEDINA@ is connected to the HowRyou platform and, through ongoing improvements to AI (artificial intelligence), contributes significantly to making the work of nursing staff easier and to the rapid detection of critical situations involving patients in their homes.

In the final round, Heike Herma Thomsen asked the three experts, Dr. Michael Bau, Kirsten Harms, and Jan Nagelfeld, the following three questions, which they answered from their respective perspectives, i.e., from the perspectives of work science, technology, and nursing practice.

Questions:

- How can nursing services and managers prepare for the transformation in the future, and what support do they need?

- What could a change from the bottom up look like in concrete terms? What tips would you give, and how could the topic be introduced?

- What does the future of nursing look like to you personally?

Finally, Heike Herma Thomsen thanked the speakers for their presentations and contributions and the guests for their interest. She invited the project team and guests to celebrate the successful conclusion of the three-year VAPiAR project with a glass of Prosecco, delicious cake, and further networking.