Briefly on UPSCALE

The international UPSCALE project (Unfolding the processes between user needs and health and welfare technology in socio-technical transition of health and care services) tackles the organizing of future health and care services with the help of health and welfare technology. The project constructs knowledge with health and welfare technology users and, based on that, produces transition pathways for policymakers and other stakeholders. 

Background

As population is ageing and declining, organizing health and care services faces many challenges. Health and welfare technology upholds vast expectations in resolving those challenges. Little is however known about expectations, needs, and experiences of different people as health and welfare technology users. Such knowledge is critical for decision making.

Objectives

UPSCALE investigates the needs of various health and welfare technology users, such as older adults, their interaction with the health and care service structure, and how health and welfare technology -related services could be developed or built on the user-centred understanding. A central aim is knowledge building and cocreation in transitions – information and knowledge building and sharing within, between and beyond HWT users. UPSCALE pays special attention to users’ diversity.

Methods

User data are gathered via interdisciplinary methods spanning from interviews and participatory knowledge co-creation to a broad international survey, and both from the society level and country-specific case studies. The forerunning European survey’s results are expected to create value for both the civil society, public sector, and industry. UPSCALE’s findings will be formalized into a set of policy briefs. 

An infographic describing the socio-technical transitions approach in health and care systems. Social change, including user needs and routines, culture, societal structures, organizational and institutional practices, and technological change, including health and welfare technology and material resources are presented as intertwined arrows that result into system change.