Strategy 2025 → 2028
Vision: Health for all - through knowledge and technology
The Centre for e-health is a nationally and internationally recognised research centre that contributes to addressing key societal challenges in the health sector. The Centre collaborates closely with academic communities at the University of Agder, as well as with external research institutions, healthcare services, industry, the voluntary sector, and user communities. The Centre for e-health will be further developed as an interdisciplinary research environment with a professionally stimulating and socially inclusive culture.
Core values:
Professionalism. Equality. Participation.
Guided by these values, the Centre works to ensure that digital solutions make health services:
• accessible and user-friendly
• preventive and health-promoting
• safe and sustainable
Social mission
The Center for e-health shall contribute knowledge and solutions that enhance the healthcare system of the future. This is done through interdisciplinary, practical and user-oriented research and development of high professional quality. In our research, users are actively involved in the design of user-friendly and effective e-health solutions. This approach aims to ensure equal access to healthcare for all and to empower individuals to actively participate in their own treatment and in the design of their own healthcare services.
Our overall focus areas
1. Research and innovation
The Centre for e-health shall initiate, lead and conduct interdisciplinary e-health research at a high international level and high-quality innovation that contributes to addressing current and future challenges in the health sector.
We will prioritise:
- interdisciplinary and international collaboration in eHealth research and innovation
- increasing co-publication with national and international partners
- strengthening the focus on interdisciplinary publications
- intervention studies and impact evaluations
- promoting academic exchange
2. Hub
The Centre for e-health shall be a preferred hub for co-creation and dissemination of interdisciplinary knowledge within the field of eHealth at regional, national and international levels.
We will:
- strengthen interdisciplinary research collaboration in eHealth
- involve users, workplace stakeholders and societal actors in research-based co-creation
- strengthen and enhance the visibility of research, co-creation and innovation anchored in the I4Helse building
3. Dissemination and competence development
The Centre for e-health shall take a leading role in promoting engagement and competence in the field of e-health.
We will:
- strengthen the link between the Centre and relevant educational programmes
- enhance the visibility and increase the use of the Centre’s laboratory facilities as part of educational activities
- organise and participate in relevant arenas for research dissemination and teaching
Our research areas
Digital solutions for health, coping and learning
One of the biggest challenges for a sustainable health service is access to health personnel with the right expertise. Digitalisation should contribute to efficient and inclusive health services. Digital competence among citizens and health personnel is therefore considered crucial for providing good quality health services for all. We need more knowledge about how digital solutions and self-help tools can contribute to an easier working day for health personnel and the management of their own health and life situation for citizens. The Center for e-health will conduct research on the design, implementation and evaluation of technology and learning tools for citizens and health personnel.
During the period 2025–2028, we will focus our research on:
- Remote health care
- Technology and solutions for competence development and self-help
- Responsible and ethical use of AI
Use of health data for decision-making, management and communication
Improved use of health data can contribute to more personalised health services, better learning within the health service, and more effective communication with the public about health. Today, we lack both the knowledge and the systems required for the secure, efficient and ethical management of health data. The Centre for eHealth will conduct research on how improved use of health data can strengthen knowledge, learning and motivation among healthcare professionals, patients and the wider public.
During the period 2025–2028, we will focus our research on:
- the collection, structuring and quality assurance of data
- tailored visualisation and accessibility of data for different target groups
- lawful, secure and ethical use of data
- data literacy among patients, healthcare professionals, decision-makers and citizens
Solutions for information and interaction
Effective information and collaboration solutions are crucial for the health services of the future. Challenges in this research area include variations in digital skills, the quality of new digital solutions (inclusive, accessible, user-friendly, interoperable, and standardised), and difficulties with implementation in clinical workflows. We aim to investigate these challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration involving researchers from various fields, service users, healthcare professionals, and technology providers.
During the period 2025–2028, our research will focus on:
- terminology and standardisation
- how digital solutions can contribute to a simpler workday for healthcare professionals
- how information and communication can support inclusive implementation of digital solutions
- digital competence among service users and healthcare professionals