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. 2024 Mar 22:3:147.
doi: 10.12688/openreseurope.16304.2. eCollection 2023.

PROCare4Life lessons learned

Pilar Gangas  1 , Elda Judica  2 , Mayca Marin  3 , Raquel Bouça-Machado  4 , Joaquim J Ferreira  4 , Claudia Louro  5 , Michael Brach  6 , David Linnane  1 , Mona Ahmed  6   7 , Ellen Bentlage  6 , Yusuf Can Semerci  8 , Joao P Proença  5 , Jorge Alfonso  9
Affiliations

PROCare4Life lessons learned

Pilar Gangas et al. Open Res Eur. .

Abstract

PeRsOnalised Integrated CARE Solution for Elderly (PROCare4Life) was an EU-funded project that ran from January 2020 until June 2023, whose focus was to further develop and integrate previous ICT solutions developed by several previous EU-funded projects into a unique modular system able to support the autonomy and empowerment and to increase the Quality of Life (QoL) of elderly people living with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or similar dementia, having also tested the system for elderly people living with comorbidities. This article focuses on the methodology and results used to identify the internal lessons learned. PROCare4Life was developed using a codesign approach involving more than 2,000 participants whose input has been listened to and transformed into valuable changes of the system and also into lessons learned included in this case study report. Since the beginning of the implementation of PROCare4Life, there has been a commitment to make invisible knowledge visible through open discussion and including our lessons learned in each of our deliverables. In the last six months of implementation, qualitative research has been implemented by the PROCare4Life consortium to identify and select our most relevant challenges and recommendations for future projects and initiatives. PROCare4Life was highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is acknowledged in the lessons learned. However, the consortium has focused on the recommendations that could be more valuable for ordinary implementation of future projects and initiatives developing eHealth tools for elderly citizens living with conditions that might affect their cognitive or mobility capacities.

Keywords: dementia; eHealth; Integrated Care; Lessons Learned; Digital technologies; People centred codesign; Parkinson’s; Alzheimer’s.

Plain language summary

PeRsOnalised Integrated CARE Solution for Elderly (PROCare4Life) was an EU-funded project that ran from January 2020 until June 2023, aiming at improving the quality of life of older people living with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or other dementia using ICT technologies. The term implementation refers to the process of putting a plan or idea into action. It is a complex process that involves multiple stages, including planning, execution, and evaluation. Implementation research is a growing field of health research that aims to study the factors that affect the implementation of health policies, programs, and practices. It can help identify the best strategies for introducing potential solutions into a health system or promoting their large-scale use and sustainability. For PROCare4Life, when using the term implementation it covers all the stages, including ideation and design phases, although focusing on the pilot 3 iterative codesign and testing of the system. Using daily life devices such as smartphones and smart watches, more than 2,000 people have contributed to co-creating PROCare4Life. The three profiles focused on were older people living with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or other dementia, their main carers and their healthcare professionals, with an ICT system providing direct communication and allowing them to share their health status. Along the journey to develop PROCare4Life, our European consortium has learned many things that we have internally investigated and reported in this article. We have identified 20 challenges and 41 recommendations. We hope that our lessons learned might be inspiring and valuable for others, particularly future projects and initiatives developing eHealth tools for elderly EU citizens living with different conditions that might affect their cognitive or mobility capabilities.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests were disclosed.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. PROCare4Life Lessons Learned processual methodological approach.
Source: Own elaboration.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. PROCare4Life system devices, home scenario.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. PROCare4Life data gathering and flow.
PC solution is depicted in the Figure 4 below.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. PROCare4Life system data gathering and data flow.
Cloud solution.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Belmonte-Hernández A, Semerci YC, Proença JP, et al. : PROCare4Life: An integrated care platform to improve the quality of life of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients. Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments. 2022;358–364. 10.1145/3529190.3534727 - DOI
    1. Rowe SF, Sikes S: Lessons learned: taking it to the next level. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2006—North America, Seattle, WA. Newtown Square, PA, Project Management Institute,2006. Reference Source
    1. OAS KM Group: Lessons learned Educational Portal of the Americas . Bogotá: Organization of American States,2023.
    1. McDonald RA: A Methodology for Identifying Lessons Learned—An Integration of Case Study Techniques with General Systems Paradigm and Congruence Theory. Chantilly, Virginia: Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance,2015. Reference Source
    1. Rowe SF, Sikes S: Lessons learned: sharing the knowledge. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2006—EMEA, Madrid, Spain. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute,2006. Reference Source

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