Applied health technology at BTH, AHT@BTH
Applied health technology (AHT) at BTH is an interdisciplinary subject incorporating both studies on how health directly or indirectly relates to the application and results of technology. It has a firm user perspective in where both the inherent qualities of the technology and the user’s perception of the same technology together make up the resulting functionality. Engineering disciplines together with the domain knowledge from the health disciplines make up the intersection where AHT can be found.
The strong environment of aging research, applied ICT and product development research at BTH has given the special profile of research areas that connects to and sometimes are incorporated by AHT.
Examples of our main research areas are given here below
Gerontechnology
Gerontechnology is an interdisciplinary field of scientific research in which technology is directed towards the aspirations and opportunities for the older persons. Gerontechnology aims at good health, full social participation and independent living up to a high age, be it research, development or design of products and services to increase the quality of life. Gerontechnology is found at the crossroads of advancing technology and advancing age. Good health is of great importance to all older persons and increasingly so with progressing age.
At Blekinge Institute of technology the Swedish National Study on Ageing and Care – SNAC – is hosted. It is a longitudinal research study started in 1999 with the purpose to augment knowledge in several areas from an interdisciplinary perspective in aging and care. The project follows almost ten thousand persons through their life course over 60 years of age and this population is the basis for many research studies in active healthy aging and cognitive psychosocial and physical aging support
A common factor in the research is older people’s possibilities and problems with the digitalization of various societal functions and arenas including health and care. Older people’s use of the Internet, ICT tools for cognitive, psychosocial and physical aging support is in the portfolio.
Projects include research on ICT tools for both normal aging and people cognitive impairments to manage everyday life and increase quality of life. Ecosystems for dental care with electronic toothbrushes for people with dementia as well as medicine management etc.
Decision support with Deep Learning & AI in Healthcare
Combining a deep knowledge of the users in the welfare and healthcare systems with the capacity of modern computing creates new strands of research possibilities. BTH and applied health technology is in the research front here using deep learning and AI on the data we have gathered and are gathering to create new tools for health management.
We do research in image recognition of magnetic resonance images, prognosis of the development of mild cognitive impairments and dementia as well as decision support systems for patients and professionals in several areas in home care.