Leveraging health data for the elderly care : A study on the European Health Data Space and operational efficiency amongst care providers

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores the potential impacts of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) on innovation and operational efficiency within the elderly care sector in Sweden. The research is motivated by the demographic shift towards an aging population, which is projected to significantly increase the demand for elderly care services and impose substantial economic pressure on the sector. Moreover, the study investigates how the EHDS might facilitate innovation in welfare technology and improve collaboration among care providers and technology developers. The findings indicate that increased access to standardized health data, interoperability and improvements in the regulatory/legislative space can foster innovation by enabling more efficient development and deployment of welfare technologies. However, due to poor standardization and quality of data, advanced technology including artificial intelligence will become value-creating further into the future whereas low-tech solutions (e.g. sensors for monitoring and communication tools) will create the most value in the coming years by providing immediate and practical improvements to operational efficiency and care quality. Overall, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of how digital transformations, supported by initiatives like the EHDS, can address some of the pressing issues faced by the elderly care sector. The conclusions drawn suggest that while the EHDS has the potential to significantly improve operational efficiency and innovation, careful consideration of the associated challenges is essential for realizing its full benefits.