Health and care challenges combine social, political, economic and technological ambitions which necessitate a greater multidisciplinary understanding of the landscape/context in which they exist. These challenges are complex and difficult to describe while also highly inter-related, thus making possible solutions difficult to recognize due to their complex interdependencies. Such challenges require a multi-disciplinary approach in finding possible solutions. This multi-disciplinary approach includes the engagement of different knowledge bases and the combination of ‘hard’ sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. Overall, current health and care challenges stress the importance of a multi-disciplinary mindset for the exploration of possible solutions.
Design of Health and Smart City Ecosystem Framework
For the development of the conceptual health and smart city ecosystem framework various studies and research articles were examined. A well-established smart city ecosystem is a necessary condition for the development of smart health and care services. Thus, a proposed health and smart city ecosystem framework is based on the smart city ecosystem layers and dimensions with the proposed health and care contextual perspective.
A conceptual Health and smart City Ecosystem Framework is used as an orientation through the possibilities of development of health and smart city health solutions in the different ATHIKA activities. It serves as a tool for researchers who want to take advantage of the ICTs and solve their challenges through health and smart city initiatives.
Challenges identification
Challenges identification presents the diagnostic instrument for the identification of the health smart city challenges, which further will be transformed into innovative development solutions via identified alternative scenarios. Challenge identification diagnostic instrument was developed by taking into account student capabilities to implement specific activities. Also, the primary challenges were identified by the project partners to simplify the students’ task. For the next step, students can work with narrower problems under the umbrella of identified challenges of “A European Union that protects” and “A dynamic economy”.
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Scenarios planning methodology
Scenario planning methodology is a basis for the establishment of healthcare sector future development prognosis. The framework supports the development of dynamics of the business environment, recognize new opportunities, assess strategic options, and take long-term decisions.
The identified challenges and solutions will further be refined by partnership to provide the best links between health smart city and a range of potential initiatives to be solved BY THE STUDENTS DURING THE COURSE.