Fraunhofer Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions – AICOS
24.05.2022
A group of parliamentarians from Saxony has visited the Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS’ branch offices at Lisbon. With around 25 people, the visiting group included the Saxon State Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion, Petra Köpping, the Chairman, Susanne Schaper, and the Vice-Chairman, Doreen Schwietzer. The Committee on Social Affairs and Social Cohesion is responsible for social and health policy issues which includes topics such as consumer protection, seniors, youth and family as well as ensuring medical care, among others. In line with these topics, one of FhP-AICOS’ innovation themes is Decentralised Health Technology. Thus, several technological solutions have been (and are being) developed at FhP-AICOS with the aim of improving healthcare related processes.
During the visit, we had the opportunity to showcase several solutions, developed with specific goals and contexts. A technology designed for ageless sexual health (Anathema), a mobile patient-centred solution to improve drug trials and care of older-adults with Rheumatic diseases (Cotidiana), an Internet-of-Things (IoT) system to support clinicians in the follow-up of cardiothoracic surgery patients after hospital discharge (CardioFollowAI), and a technology framework to collect and analyse data regarding workers’ activity and wellbeing on different levels (OPERATOR) are examples of the presented solutions.
Improving patient access to early treatment, supporting clinicians’ decisions, enabling the participation of patients and informal caregivers in their care, empowering non-experts to acquire medical data, and decreasing the burden of screening actions on healthcare systems are some of FhP-AICOS’ goals when it comes to health technologies. Prevention, support to early diagnosis and intervention, and affordable cutting-edge technology are the main topics addressed at FhP-AICOS within this context.
The visit of the Committee on Social Affairs and Social Cohesion to FhP-AICOS’ premises, in Lisbon, was part of a three-day stay in Portugal, promoted by Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Luso-Alemã (CCILA), to present some research centres, laboratories and companies, as well as the technological solutions under development.