DHEAL-COM: Hub Life Science-Digital Health
The Digital Health Solutions in Community Medicine (DHEAL-COM) project is supported by the Italian Ministry of Health, through the HubLife Science - Digital Health (LSH-DH) project PNC-E3-2022-23683267, within the "National Plan for Complementary Investments - Innovative Health Ecosystem" - Unique Investment Code: PNC-E.3. The consortium is composed of seven Italian partners: IRCCS INRCA - Istituto Nazionale Riposo e Cura Anziani, University of Genoa, University of Naples Federico II, University of Pavia, University of Salerno, Fondazione Bruno Kessler and University Hospital Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Meyer.
The main objective of the DHEAL-COM project is to strengthen and develop a National Life Science Hub (DHEAL-COM HUB), which aims to become the national reference point for the development and support of research and innovation activities in the field of information technologies and personalized digital solutions, tailored to the needs of primary users (e.g. target populations), secondary users (e.g. caregivers), tertiary users (e.g. professionals, policy makers, industry) and local communities, through the involvement of stakeholders and companies in the sector.
The DHEAL-COM HUB has two main objectives:
- to create an infrastructure to support and develop digital solutions and new technologies for Proximity Medicine that are easily accessible and usable by end-users at different levels, within a continuous process of research and innovation.
- to carry out research projects that contribute to advancing the state of the art in the field of digital medicine applied to local healthcare, with a particular focus on the design of highly innovative technological solutions.
A specific focus of the project, particularly within the activities of WP5 (Person-centred technology for the treatment and management of health and functional conditions in community care settings), is the design and implementation of several XR-based solutions for rehabilitation and digital therapeutics. These solutions aim to address a range of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial needs in patients through immersive, engaging, and personalized experiences. The XR solutions are being developed using a user-centered approach, involving co-design with clinicians, caregivers, and patients, and are tailored to diverse target populations. They are intended to be tested and validated within community care settings, with the goal of contributing to the broader development of evidence-based digital therapeutics within the framework of Proximity Medicine.
