On August 29 and 30, 2022, the vCare project partners will present the results of the H2020 project "vCare", which is funded by the European Commission and in which the AIT Competence Unit Digital Health Information Systems of the Center for Health and Bioresources is significantly involved. The project has developed a virtual coach for cardio- and neuro-rehabilitation patients to enable a personalized transition from clinical rehabilitation in hospital back to home. The coach ensures continuity of care for patients from professional treatment to the home environment to improve quality of life and optimize the efficiency of medical and social treatments. All questions around the project and what are the requirements for its implementation requirements will be discussed and debated at the event.
The Event
The main event will take place on August 29 in Brussels at Scotland House, Rdpt Robert Schuman 6, 1040 Brussels, Belgium, next to the main building of the European Commission (Berlaymont). Participation is possible both on-site and online. With nearly 40 speakers on the first day, the event offers a comprehensive insight into all areas and application areas of vCare. This will be followed on the morning of August 30 by a workshop with the Lifebots exchange project. This event is also open to all interested parties after prior registration. It will specifically address the issue of interaction between humans and robots, be they digital or physical. All participants, present on site or online, will have the opportunity to interact with the speakers and the audience. You can register separately for the closing event on day 1 and the workshop on day 2.
The Project
One in six people in the European Union has a temporary or chronic illness. Appropriate rehabilitation is especially important for people as they age, as it helps them live independently and improves their quality of life. However, rehabilitation often takes months and is often interrupted by the transition from hospital to home - virtual coaches can help these patients implement personalized rehabilitation that suits age-related conditions and helps them stick to therapy plans and contribute to risk prevention. The "vCare" (Virtual Coaching Activities for Rehabilitation in Elderly) project addresses two major shortcomings of the status quo: participatory design based on user needs and personalization of care pathways through technology.
To this end, vCare has been developing an advanced, avatar-based virtual coaching system since 2017 that works with patients to help them adhere to their individualized rehabilitation programs. To this end, data from the home environment, health information and regular interactions with affected patients are collected and intelligently linked to ensure that patients experience an optimal transition from clinical rehabilitation in the hospital back home.
The vCare project, which ends at the end of August 2022, has brought together clinical, research and industry partners from 7 European countries (Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Romania, Denmark and Belgium), including the experts from the Digital Health Information Systems Competence Unit of the AIT Center for Health and Bioresources. As project partners, they are leading two work packages: First, the design, conception and development of the virtual coaching approach; second, the development of the avatar-based user interface for interaction with the person being coached; and third, the adaptation and optimization of the AIT KIOLA platform for managing and monitoring the rehabilitation program for the clinical partners. vCare is funded by the European Commission with just over EUR 4 million as part of the Horizon 2020 call "Personalised coaching for well-being and care of people as they age" (SC1-PM15-2017). The project started on September 1, 2017 and has a duration of 48 months.
The program and all details about the event can be found here: https://vcare-project.eu/vcare-final-open-event/
The event can be attended completely free of charge online as well as on-site. However, registration is mandatory:
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