Digitization and Work Design in Geriatric Care

The project „Digitization and Work Design in Geriatric Care - Potentials and Strategies for 'Good' Work Innovations in Operational Practice“ aims to illustrate the benefits that digitization can bring to geriatric care and identify success factors for innovations. Care facilities will receive practical information on how to use digital tools in their primary care work, in work organization and in personnel management. In addition, it will be made clear how digital technology in various nursing settings is already helping to combine new solutions in care with work-oriented design practice.

The nursing sector is becoming increasingly important in an aging population. The current shortage of skilled workers will intensify in the coming years as a result of demographic change. At the same time, the need for high-quality healthcare has been given additional impetus by the Corona crisis. Improving working conditions in geriatric care is receiving growing public and political attention. Digital innovations for and in the working world of elderly care are a key to expanding nursing care, ensuring a high quality of care and creating attractive working conditions.

This is where the project „Digitalization and Work Design in Geriatric Care - Potentials and Strategies for 'Good' Work Innovations in Company Practice“, funded by the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, comes in. The German Economic Institute (IW) and the Institute of Work and Technology (IAT) of the Westfälische Universität will analyze company innovation concepts and strategies that combine the expansion and quality development in nursing care with new ways of a work-oriented use of digital technology. Obstacles, success factors and examples of „good practice“ will be identified and, based on this, target group-specific recommendations for action will be developed together with company practice. To this end, a practice-oriented mixed-methods approach will be pursued that combines elements of design thinking with quantitative surveys as well as expert interviews and company research. The results will be processed in an action-oriented manner and published on a dedicated website. The project is accompanied by a practical advisory board.

The project is financially supported by the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.